Pure as me
by sophiesayshi
Summary: 10 years ago, Angel and Total are separated from the whole flock, who they now believe to be dead. Now back in Virginia, something a whole lot worse than the School surfaces, not to mention more surprises and an enemy that seems impossible to defeat...
1. Angels don't die

**_So sorry to everyone for deleting it--- i don't know how the hell it happened, but.... anyway, here it is again (with a few changes)_**

**_xxx please review again xxx_**

Angels don't die

"_Angel!" _

I heard Max's wild, terrified thoughts as she screamed my name. I blocked it all out, flinching away at her pain.

Then suddenly, I grunted as something slammed into me from behind, sharp teeth tearing at my back…my wings. Total snarled, and twisted in my grip to snap his jaws around whatever was behind me.

_Oh, Angel,_ Max whispered in her mind. _Oh, my baby. _

I felt something warm dripping down my back as the thing behind me howled, and tore away from me, Total still gripping onto it with his teeth.

I turned around to look at it.

It had oval amber eyes embedded deep into a skull-like grey head, and a thin body with lopsided limbs hanging down from its torso, lengthened with long black claws. It even, as I saw when it span around, had a spiked tail.

Before I knew what was happening, the creature stabbed Total hard with his tail, then, with one last mumble from the small black dog, it flunghim powerfully down below.

I dropped like a stone, the blood from the slashes in my back spurting out, gritting my teeth as my injured wings kept making me fly sideways.

"Total!" I yelled.

No answering shout came back, and I never wished more than I did now that Total's wings could support his whole weight.

Max suddenly zoomed past me, and flitted down to where Total was still steadily falling. Her arms snapped out to catch him, then she held him tight to her chest as she flew back upwards.

"Angel," she ordered, "go and land, and we'll fight these guys. I'll see you later."

"But-" I began.

_Please, _she begged, kissing me once, softly on the forehead. _Please do what I told you. You're in no state to fly either, with your wings._

_Sure,_ I thought, planting the words in her brain. _Sure, I'll stay. But be careful._

_I know. _She gave me a half-incredulous, half-amused look. _Since when was I never careful with the flock?_

_Those things are awful, _I told her. _Different. They want to kill you, Max. Really badly._

_I know, sweetie. I know._

With those last thoughts, she flew back up to the fight, and I reluctantly went down to a small crevice in the rocky cliff nearby, watching the battle through the flock's thoughts.

A weak snuffle brought me quickly back to my senses, and I turned Total slowly over onto his side. I winced at what I saw.

"Total," I said. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, Angel," he mumbled. "Yeah, just."

"This looks pretty bad," I began. "You know that right?"

He groaned in reply, and I took that as a yes.

"The thing used it's tail on you," I carried on. "I was lucky I only got the teeth."

The claws, it seemed, had small barbed endings, and these were stuck under Total's skin.

"Oh," he whispered as he moved slightly. "Oh, for the love of God. It _hurts._"

"Yes," I said soothingly. "But I need to take these things out."

"No," he refused weakly, as one of my hands came down over him.

_Total,_ I crooned in his mind. _Total, all it needs is a little work. We just need to get some small things out of your body. It'll take two seconds, I promise. And it might hurt, just a bit, but that's your imagination. Two seconds…_

"You can take two seconds," Total slurred. "Two, only."

I took my sweater off, and wrapped my hand in it. Then I slowly pulled one of the barbed hooks out of him. Total shut his eyes firmly, but didn't say anything. I looked carefully at the hook, and gasped.

A thick orangey yellow liquid was oozing out of it. Poison, I realised with a start. Total's got _poison _in him.

Total shuddered, and I pulled out another barb. And another. And another. Eventually, my pile of black barbs was as big as my fist. Total seemed to be slowly awakening, but I remembered that the poison was still in him.

I fumbled around in the bag that was slung around my hip, and found what I was looking for. My water bottle.

I poured most of the water over the wounds, then dabbed it dry with the only thing available- Celeste, my lovely angel bear. I made him drink the rest of it, though some just dribbled down his chin.

He's getting better, I thought happily. Max would be proud of me.

But the wounds were still open, and bleeding steadily, so I fished a handful of band-aids out of my bag. Max had said they were only for emergencies. And this was _definitely _an emergency.

Once I was done, I sat back, satisfied, my eyes flickering back to the flock.

Then there was a massive _boom! _and I thought of Gazzy, triumphant with his bombs. But then I saw the dark, putrid orange smoke hanging over the skies, and I knew, in that split second, that none of the flock had anything to do with it.

I left Total there, and launched myself off the cliff face, rushing to where the smoke was. In the distance, I could see the crowd of the creatures that had faced us flying away, but there was no sign of Max, of Fang, of Gazzy, of Iggy, of Akila.

No sign, at all, of the flock.


	2. Virginia

Virginia

_Ten years later_

We- that is, Total and I- were flying across Virginia, when I suddenly realized where exactly we were. I felt hot tears spill over my eyes, and I bit my lip to stop it trembling.

"Hey, Angel," said Total. "What's up with you?"

"It's Virginia," I muttered, feeling stupid.

"Way to point out the obvious," Total said sarcastically.

"No, don't you remember? Anne? Real school? With-" I choked the words out. "-the flock?"

Total went quiet, and nodded. "Yeah," he said softly. "I remember."

I wiped my eyes. "Sorry about the outburst."

"No, 's fine," Total said. "I didn't have wings when we were here before, though."

He fluttered his wings- small and shocking black- and I couldn't help a tiny grin. They looked ridiculous on him. A walking, talking, _flying _dog. And one that, apparently, had the lifespan of a human -if that was why he was still as young and energetic as when we first got him meant.

"I think," I began, "that we should go down there and visit."

"_What?_" Total hissed. "Are you nuts?"

"No, I think it's a good idea, that's all," I sniffed. "Why not?"

"Fine, fine, fine," he said. "I'll come."

"Yes!" I shouted, punching the air. "Oh, do you think we'll know anyone?"

"It's been ten _years_, Angel," he said, rolling his eyes. "I doubt it."

"D'you think I could get a place at the school?" I asked, suddenly determined. "I really want to settle down somewhere…Maybe get a job when I'm older…"

"Of course, Angel, darling. Anything else? A mansion, a Ferrari, vintage champagne?" he said sardonically.

"Oh, come on," I replied. "You don't expect me to live like this forever! I mean, I'm all alone-"

He shot me a glare.

"Sorry, sorry, I forgot," I quickly reprimanded.

"_Thanks._" His voice was dripping poison.

"Let's just go down there. Please?" I begged.

"Okay, whatever," said Total, shaking his head. Then, "Race ya there!"

I tucked my wings in and fell, only brandishing them at the last moment, so that I landed softly on the ground, all the impact from the fall being absorbed by my airy, fourteen-and-a-half-feet wingspan.

_Yeah,_ I thought miserably.

My wings were now half a feet bigger than Max's.

We landed just outside the main door of the school- though in the shadow of a large bush- and I glanced down at the watch I had persuaded a young man in the electrics shop to buy for me. I didn't even need to use my skill; all it took was a little batting of eyelashes and a flirtatious smile.

_That's right,_ I thought with a grin, _little Angel's all grown up._

The numbers _9:57 _flashed on the screen, and I looked around impatiently, walking out from behind the bush. Surely there should be some people around by now?

A bell rang out, and hordes of students ran out into the grounds. I just stood there for a while, Total jumping up into my arms.

"Excuse-me?" came a sudden, unexpected voice. "Who are you?"

"Answer her," hissed Total. "She's talking to _you_, Angel."

I turned around at looked at the woman who was speaking.

"Miss Solowski?" I said in a burst of recognition. She had been my teacher when I was six years old, attending this school with- a lump rose in my throat- the flock.

She started, and her lips tightened furiously.

"This is beyond funny, young girl," she snapped. "I must ask you to ask the school premises at once."

"No!" I said quickly. "Don't you remember me? I was in your class when I was six years old. I'm Ang- Ariel Walker."

The teacher stared in confusion at me for a second, before her face lit up.

"Ariel, oh my God," she whispered. "You left so suddenly. Ten years, it's been."

"Sorry," I mumbled, looking down at my feet. "It's just…it was important. What happened to Mr. Pruitt?" I added, remembering the headmaster who had been in league with the whitecoats.

"He resigned. Mrs. Cheatham's the headmistress now," she told me.

My heart pounded inside my chest, the blood throbbing in my ears. Mrs. Cheatham, I remembered, was Max's old teacher.

"Could I…" I began, ignoring the onslaught of sadness that would come at every mention of the flock, of Max, of Gazzy, my elder brother. "Could I possibly enroll at this school again?"

"Of course, Ariel," Ms Solowski said, surprised. "Follow me."

She led me inside, and I tried to make conversation.

"People call me Angel now," I said as cheerfully as I could.

That was a lie. People had always called me Angel.

"Angel? Well, I'm not surprised," Ms Solowski quipped. "After all, you've become so beautiful."

"Oh," I said, and blushed. "Thanks."

"Here we are, then," Ms Solowski said as we stopped in front of a cream white door.

She held it open and we both stepped inside. Mrs. Cheatham sat behind the same desk that Mr. Pruitt had sat at years ago. She looked up, and her face broke into a smile.

"Is this girl…?"

She looked up expectantly at Ms Solowski.

"Ariel Walker," she said. "Do you remember the Walkers? They came here a while ago."

She hesitated before answering, in a sudden cry- "Yes, I do!", and I could see the eagerness flicker in her eyes. "Does this mean your whole family has returned? Max, Jeff, Nick, Tiffany-Krystal, Zephyr?"

"Wow," I breathed, impressed. "You remembered all of our names!"

"Well." A tint of red had entered her cheeks. "Max was a brilliant pupil, so I couldn't help but be curious about her. She was just so clever!"

_The Voice was really clever_, I remembered with a pang.

I couldn't believe it. I missed Max's _Voice_.

"How is Max, by the way?" Mrs. Cheatham asked.

"Great," I said, my voice breaking. "She's got a job…in Malaysia. An accountant, I think."

"Good for her." Mrs. Cheatham smiled, then it faded quickly as her eyes finally rested on what was in my arms. "Good lord! Is that a _dog_?" she asked with a start. "Ms Solowski, how did you not see this…this preposterous thing?"

"I've left my glasses in the classroom, Miranda," she said smoothly.

I admired her lie. After all, how else would she have recognized me from a distance? By the color of my _blur_? I noticed the glint of glass in her pocket, and smiled to myself. She must've liked me more than I thought.

I fixed my eyes on Mrs. Cheatham.

_This is a beautiful dog, _I thought._ A very beautiful dog. Couldn't he just…just this _once _trail around with Ariel Walker? You couldn't deprive her of her lovely, lovely dog. And Ariel is so smart, she should be accepted with a scholarship. She shouldn't need to pay any money as well. Isn't that a brilliant idea, Miranda?_

Mrs. Cheatham blinked.

"I suppose…" she said slowly. "I suppose it's alright, just this once. Such a beautiful dog, after all."

I beamed. "Thanks, Mrs. Cheatham," I said happily.

"And you're so smart, Ariel. You can have a scholarship to this school," Mrs. Cheatham continued.

"What's a scholarship, Mrs. Cheatham?" I asked innocently.

"That means you don't have to pay any money, dear. Your school uniform, too…free."

_No uniform for anyone_, I thought fiercely.

"You know what?" bellowed Mrs. Cheatham. "No uniform for anyone! What's more, my darling Ariel, I shall _buy _you some new clothes. That mother of yours isn't doing a brilliant job of keeping you clean and tidy, I must say."

"Thanks, Mrs. Cheatham," I gushed. "You're the best."

* * *

"Ariel, right?"

I looked at the guy behind me, and nodded, quickly taking in all his features: dark brown, tousled hair, green eyes, and a slim, toned frame. He was cute, I thought, surprised at the blush on my cheeks.

"Yeah," I said. "But it's Angel now."

"Angel?" He smiled and leant in closer. "Great name."

I swallowed. "Thanks. What's your name?"

"Louis. I'm in your history class, remember?"

"Oh," I said. "No, sorry. I didn't see you."

"S'okay." He chuckled. "Hey, I heard you came here ages ago."

"To this school? Yeah, when I was six," I said, shrugging to hide my watery eyes.

"Cool," he said. "D'you know anyone?"

"Uh…no," I mumbled. "They've all left."

He looked surprised. "So you don't know anyone?"

"Not apart from Total," I blurted out. "You know, my dog."

He laughed. "I can't believe Cheatham actually let you keep him. What did you say to get him in? And the uniform thing. I heard you did it all."

"It was no biggie," I said, embarrassed.

I looked downwards, and Total grinned back at me, mouthing _Go for it!_ I angrily shoved him off of me, and he scurried away, across the library.

"He'll be fine," I told Louis, as he raised an eyebrow. "He's tough."

"No, I was just wondering about those wings on his back," he mused.

"Oh, those?" I forced a laugh. "I got them for half price at this pet store. Realistic, huh?"

"Yeah." He focused his gaze back on me. "Anyway, you should go out somewhere and get to know people. I could take you, if you want."

"What…" I began, a mischievous smile on my face, "What, like a date?"

He nodded, grinning. "Only if you want to."

"Where will we be going? I've never actually been on a date," I confessed, "so I don't know anything about any of this stuff."

"How does dinner sound? Or a movie?"

"That sounds more like _us_ getting to know each otherthan_ me _getting to know other people," I pointed out.

"Oh, if you don't want to, we don't have to," he said quickly.

"No, sure. Dinner it is, then." I leant in closer. "Tomorrow night too soon?"

"Tomorrow at seven. I'll pick you up," he promised.

I shook my head, wondering where he would pick me up from. The cliffs? The beach? No, that would be a disaster. "I'll come to your place."

He grinned and blushed. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, what's your address?" I asked.

"Just down the road from here. Number 57. You won't miss it; it's a big white house with a flowery garden. My _mom_," he added with a moan.

You're lucky you _have _a mom, I thought bitterly, but he wasn't to know.

"Sure." I gave him a flirtatious wink, then hurried off after Total, wondering what the hell just happened.


	3. SpagBol

**_Thanks to all my faithful reviewers--- especially Skye Maxwell----- and, everyone else, if u think its good enough, please, please REVIEW!!!! It makes my day. :)_**

**SpagBol**

"He asked you on a _date_?" Total asked, incredulous. _"Tonight?"_

"Well, um, yeah," I answered. "So?"

"Angel…on a date?" he said. "You're not being serious, are you?"

"Why's it so hard to believe?" I shot back, my cheeks suddenly burning.

"Look, Angel, the last person who had a date here in Virginia that we know of is Max. And look how that turned out," Total said.

I blinked. I had forgotten about that.

"It's not anything serious," I assured him. "It's just a chance for me to get to know other people."

"The Angel _I _knew was pretty fine with just a dog," Total sniffed. "Like…like Akila or me."

I stroked Total softly. "Hey there," I murmured. "She couldn't understand you anyway. And we can't go back and change the past. You know that as well as I do."

He glared at me. "The Angel _I _knew would also never do what you just did. She would _comfort _me."

I sighed. "Whatever, Total. I'm ten years older than the Angel _you _knew. I've changed."

"Yeah, that's pretty obvious," he said sourly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I muttered back. "Just cause I'm _trying _to get on with my life as a human- which I am, by ninety eight percent- it doesn't mean that you have the right to freaking criticise how I do it! It's _my _life, Total. Not yours. And definitely not Ma- anyone else's'."

He stared at me, and, without warning, turned away and stalked off.

"Total…"

Then I heard what he was thinking.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid. If only the rest of the flock were here…and Akila. Why did they all die? WHY? I'm stuck with Angel, now, dammit. She's such a bloody coward, as well. Can't even say Max's name. It's like the flock never freaking existed with her._

_Total. _I sent the thought furiously at him, and he suddenly cut off.

_Angel, _he replied.

He said it as just a sort of acknowledgement. There was no fury in it, no happiness, no sadness…no nothing. For a moment, there was silence, then I spoke up again.

_I heard what you said, and I-_

_Forget about it, _he interrupted me bitterly. _I'm kind of glad you heard anyway. Now at least you know the truth._

_What, that I'm a COWARD? Whatever, Total. You and I both know that that's not true at all. I was the one that-_

He interrupted me again.

_You were the one that got us into all this mess. Remember ten years ago? Why the hell didn't you do anything? You heard those weird monsters' thoughts, didn't you? Those…Flyboy-slash-Erasery-looking-mutant-whatever-they-were-s' thoughts. And why the freaking HELL didn't you do anything? You were the one that killed the flock, Angel, not them. _He spat the word- my name- out, as if it weren't true anymore. _You were the one that killed Max._

_It wasn't my fault! _I screamed at him. _I was only six ye-_

_Whatever._

_Would you STOP interrupting me, Total!_

A muscle throbbed in my jaw as he spun around to look at me, once, before rolling his eyes.

"I have a date tonight," I growled. "And I'm going now."

_Have fun_, he thought, with as much sarcasm as he could muster. _Don't be back too late. And use protection, honey! You don't want any crabbies now, do you?_

_Shut the freaking hell up._

And then I leapt off the cliff-face, and began spiralling down towards the town, tears pricking at my eyes the whole way. Once I was close enough, I picked a pretty inconspicuous place to land- in a patch of thin forest quite close to a CO-OP. I checked my watch.

_6:47pm_

My date was at seven.

Shoot.

Biting my lip, I thought of myself dressed in a pretty, dark blue minidress, complete with a silver belt. Then I imagined the shoes- blue satin heels with a silver strap, as well as two silver earrings and a bracelet. Finally, I screwed up my eyes, and visualised myself with a some mascara, eyeliner, lipgloss…there. Perfect.

I smiled as I looked over myself, taking in the gorgeous dress, the shoes, the make-up. Then I checked the time again- _6:53pm._

_God, I love this skill_, I couldn't help thinking, as I began to walk out of the forest, and onto the street. I could see Number 57 out of the corner of my eye; a huge white house with a nice, trimmed garden.

And there, standing out on the porch wearing a crisp, light blue shirt and jeans, was Louis.

My stomach did a funny flippy-over thing suddenly, and I staggered to a stop. He caught sight of me, and raised his hand, waving. I waved back, and started walking again. He turned away, and a second later, I saw him coming down a set of stairs with some keys in his hand.

"Hey," he called over to me. "You came!"

"Sure I did," I answered.

He looked me up and down, and grinned.

"You look great, by the way," he told me. "Really pretty."

I ran a hand through my hair, and blushed.

"Thanks," I said. "You don't look half-bad yourself."

He chuckled. "Whatever, beautiful."

My cheeks felt like they were on freaking fire, and I couldn't help but read the thoughts running through his mind.

_She looks really good tonight... I hope she likes Italian … I've heard that girls find Italian sexy, but- Oh god I hope I'm right… I hope she's not one of those stressy little blondes… No, she doesn't look it… Man, she looks gorgeous tonight... _

I smiled. It was all fine.

"You know, I love Italian," I said, as he led me into his car. "It's so…yummy."

Honestly, I'd never tasted Italian before. But I'd guessed, from sixteen years of experience, that teenage mutant bird kids loved any form of food…so now I loved Italian.

"Really?" His eyebrows went _way _up. "How d'you know I'm taking you to Italian tonight?"

"Uh…girls find Italian sexy, so I just assumed…" I said, recalling what he had been thinking.

"O-kay," he answered. "So, Italian it is."

He revved the engine, and we sailed through the roads, him all the while telling me about the 'little Italian place around the corner' where we were going.

"Yeah, and they have this poster on the wall," he continued, "of all the waiters throwing spaghetti at each other. It's kind of weird, I know, but…who cares, huh? As long as the food is good, and they serve a _killer _pizza margherita every time."

I giggled. "_Spaghetti?"_

"Yeah, I know, weird, right?" he laughed. "They're all covered in SpagBol."

"I love SpagBol," I replied. "It's so good!"

He gave me a strange look, then carried on.

"And there's this one waiter called Max, who-"

He kept on talking, but I wasn't listening anymore.

_They never leave me alone, _I thought angrily. _The flock's everywhere, all the time. What the hell do I have to do to forget them? I don't want them clogging up my mind… I need something to distract me from them; something so big that I'll forget them completely, and they'll never ever make me sad again, because I miss them so much, especially Max, and-_

"Hello? Angel?"

Louis was clapping his hands in front of my face.

"Huh?" I said, snapping back into reality.

"We're at the restaurant," he said. "Come on."

I nodded and stepped out of the car, where he was waiting.

"You okay?" he asked me, a little worriedly.

"Yeah, sure, I'm fine," I answered. "Shall we sit down?"

A young, slim Italian young woman hurried up to us, and asked us in a heavily accented voice: "Can I help you?"

I noticed she was ogling Louis, and I read his mind again, just to check… And there, in his mind, was the memory of my face smiling up at him as he stood on the porch.

I grinned, ecstatic. I was safe.

"A table for two," he said to the waitress, tugging my hand into his.

Instantly, a rush of heat tore up the length of my arm, and I gulped. He glanced down at me, and as our gazes locked, I took my hand from his, and instead, slipped it into the crock of his elbow.

We followed the waitress to a table by a window, and on the way, we passed a large poster with the photograph of waiters throwing spaghetti at each other.

"_SpagBol," _I whispered, and we both started laughing quietly.

As we sat down, he said to the waitress: "I'll have a coke and, Angel, what about you?"

"Can I have, um…two cokes and a milkshake, please?"

The waitress looked slightly taken aback, but scrawled down our orders.

"And for your eating?" she asked us.

"A pizza margherita to share?" Louis asked me.

"One each, I think," I told the waitress. "And I wouldn't mind having this salad, a tomato soup, and a spaghetti carbonara with extra cheese and ham. Oh, and, could I have some SpagBol?"

Louis burst out laughing again.

She smiled awkwardly and dashed away, screaming orders at the chefs.

"You're very hungry," Louis commented.

"Can't help it," I replied. "I love Italian."

He chuckled softly. "So do I. They make the best food."

I tutted, shocked. "What about sushi?" I asked. "Sushi's _amazing_."

"Well, yeah, sushi is pretty good, but-"

"And English Breakfasts!" I announced loudly. "Bacon and ham and egg sunny-side-up and egg sunny-side-down and scrambled egg and boiled egg and mushrooms and toast," I finished in one big breath.

"Gotta admit, English Breakfasts are good as well," he said.

"And you can't forget buffets!" I burst out, my eyes widening. "All-you-can-eat buffets are awesome!"

"Buffets, too," he mumbled.

"God, and _jelly_," I gushed. "Jelly is just so…" I trailed off as my stomach growled. "Sorry," I said sheepishly. "Talking about food just gets me hungry, sometimes."

"Yeah, I guess you've got a big appetite," Louis said.

"You can say that again!" I said. "Especially when I'm having cookies. Warm, chocolately cookies are just so-"

Then, before I knew it, he had stopped me talking.

The reason?

It was because his lips were pressed to mine.


	4. Mike and the angel

**Mike and the angel**

I was flying lazy circles above the beach, when I spotted a small black dot down on the beach. With one beat of my wings, I flew farther away. But it was too late.

The little black dot had seen me, and had jumped into the sky at about thirty feet. He began to pump his tiny black wings furiously, calling for my thoughts.

_Angel! Hey, come back! This is SO immature. Just 'cause we had one teensy little fight… ANGEL!_

I didn't answer. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

_Angel, please…How was your date? Was it good? Any chemistry? Come on, you gotta tell me! Don't leave me hanging here!_

So he wanted to know about my date. Well, hoorah for him.

_ANGEL! Come on, talk to me! It was only one fight!_

Maybe just a few words, then. That wouldn't kill me.

_Total, just leave me the hell alone._

No, they did kill me.

Feeling worse than ever, I closed my eyes and began to work my wings, beating them to a steady rhythm, getting further and further away from that little black dot…

_Up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down…_

I was tiring already. For some reason, every beat of my wings took more out of me than ever.

_Up, down, up, down, up…_

My left wing suddenly tired completely, and I began plummeting towards the ground. Desperate, and not knowing what had just freaking happened, I relied entirely on my other wing, flapping it as quickly as I could. It held me in the air for a moment, before, suddenly, I took one last, ragged breath, and I blacked out, falling down, down, down…

* * *

"Look, man, there's something there on the ground."

A voice, hushed and excited came from quite close to me.

_What the hell is it? It looks like some kind of mutant girl. Maybe it's a girl lying on a bird. That would explain the wings._

"Wings?" I mumbled.

_H-holy freaking crap! It just spoke!_

I heard a set of retreating footsteps, then-

"Mike, man, come over and see this!"

Another set of footsteps, this time quicker and further away. A sharp intake of breath, and another mind.

_Is that…no, it couldn't be…_

"Mike? What d'you reckon it is?"

_A girl-bird? Bird-girl? A mutant girl? A mutant bird? …a human/avian hybrid?_

I started. Did he know what I was? I listened more carefully.

_Maybe that weird website that Lucy was going on about is actually freaking true…that there are actually people out there with freaking wings…_

Website?

"Hey, Mike," came the other voice. "Let's shoot it."

I heard the sound of a gun being taken up in the air, the brush of fingers against steel echoing through my brain…Where had I heard that before?

"Come on, man," whined the voice again. "Let's shoot the goddamn thing."

As quick as a flash, I leapt to my feet, and delivered a roundhouse kick at the guy holding the gun. The other one- Mike- stood, stock still, jaw dropping open. I shrugged, and tried to punch his face. And missed.

Mike dodged away from me, and fumbled for the gun on the ground. He pointed it at me, and then I went for last resort.

_Mike, put the gun down._

He didn't move.

_Mike, put that freaking gun freaking down._

He stayed standing still.

_MIKE! PUT THAT GUN ON THE FREAKING GROUND!_

He dropped the gun.

_Now, Mike, take your friend and get the hell away from here. Don't tell anyone what you saw, or you'll be in trouble._ I smiled innocently. _Capeesh?_

_This is not right, _he was thinking, beside himself, as he walked away, dragging his friend behind him. _This is so, so messed up._

And, deep down, in my heart of hearts, I knew what he thought was true. It wasn't right. _I _wasn't right. I, as he had so correctly thought, was messed up. Because the flock had all left me ten years ago. And now, I had done the same to Total.

_Bloody hell, am I gonna check that website Lucy's always on. Human freaking avian hybrids? Now I _know _they're real._

_No, _I thought. _No, Mike. They're not real. You don't remember this incident. You don't remember anything. Is that clear? You don't know that girl in front of you, or any of this human/avian hybrid crap. Mutant kids don't exist. Only in your fairytales, I'm sorry to say. Birds are birds, humans are humans. There are no in-betweens. Forget the girl, Mike. Forget the weird winged girl. She means nothing._

He looked up at me, his eyes completely blank.

"Who are you?" he asked.

_You can't see a girl in front of you, Mike. That's just your imagination. Or are you saying that girls with wings really exist? _

"No, only angels have wings," he muttered to himself.

I was taken aback at the irony of this.

_Yes, yes. Angel _does _have wings, _I told him. _But forget the girl. Leave. Now._

And he disappeared into the trees, leaving the angel standing there.

_An angel? _I thought.

I remembered then what I had found in a dictionary once when I searched my name:

_Angel NOUN angels 1. an attendant or messenger of God. 2. a very kind or beautiful person. (say ane-jel)_

A very kind or beautiful person?

Whatever.

With a capital freaking _W. _


	5. Blog Me

**_It's a little shorter than usual, but I had to end it where I did or ramble. I went for ending it. _**

**Blog me**

I was knocking on the door of Number 57, when Louis, looking flustered, answered. He grinned.

"Heya, Angel," he said. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," I replied. Then, "Do you have a computer?"

"Yeah…a laptop."

"In your room?" I said, looking up at him.

He nodded. "Why?"

"Can we go up there?" I asked. "Please? I really need to check something and-"

"Sure," he said, opening the door wider.

I followed him up to his room, and even smiled a little when he hurried into it before me, and I caught him trying to make his bed and pick up worn jeans from the floor. He really was just a boy.

"The laptop's over there," he told me, pointing at a desk.

I went over to it, and flipped it open. Then I just stared at it blankly. How the hell was I supposed to find that website Mike was thinking about…? I checked Louis' mind:

_Is she trying to search for something on the internet? All she has to do is press that little blue 'e'…_

I pressed the little blue 'e'.

_And type in what she wants to search in the Google search bar… Freaking hell, it's like she's never used a computer before!_

My fingers poised over the keyboard, I wondered what to type in. Blog? The Flock? Maximum Ride? Fang's Blog?

I settled for the latter, and typed _Fang's Blog _into the search bar. The results scrolled down the screen, and I clicked the first one. Instantly, my eyes widened.

* * *

Yo,

Just a quickie. Max is, uh, pretty mad right now, so it'd be pretty great if you guys didn't say anything that would, you know, offend her…She's been like this lately, though, so it's not really a surpri- (Max just hit me)

Anyway, cutting to the chase.

Nudge, the idiot, has gotten herself freaking PREGNANT.

Yeah, I know. Stupid, right?

So, if anyone out there knows how Avian-Americans can get an abortion, blog me. WE NEED TO KNOW. However cute the thing might be, we do not want a freaking mini-mutant kid around us all the freaking time. Thanks.

-Fly on, Fang

* * *

I read the comments.

* * *

**cuterThanU writes:**

Nudge????? Pregnant???? Awwww, we're gonna have mini-Maxes around the place now--- can't wait! Can you call it Mandy, please? It's a really, really cute name. Only if it's a girl tho. If it's a guy baby, call it Macho-man. (Or is it a guy chick? Like, a bird baby?)

_cuterThanU,_

_Thanks for the comment, but we kind of want an ABORTION. As in, we want to get rid of the guy chick. Also, it would be a mini-NUDGE. Not a mini-Max. 'Cause it's Nudge's baby/chick._

_-Fang_

**U-tube-baby writes:**

I disagree with cuterThanU. Call it Angel, after your lost 'little sister'. She'd like that. But don't get rid of it.

_U-tube-baby,_

_Don't make us sad. Thanks._

_-Fang_

**IlyFangx writes:**

Can't you just get rid of it the NORMAL way? Like, go to a doctor or something? (PS, I love you guys)

_IlyFangx,_

_You have a great username. Thanks for the comment, but we don't have that kind of money._

_-Fang_

**blackcoffeeismylove writes:**

Where are you at the moment? I bet all of us Flock-Fans could get together again and donate some cash for you.

_blackcoffeeismylove,_

_We're in Kentucky at the moment. Staying in a bunch of trees. Iggy says that we'll welcome all donations. Nudge says she wants the baby/chick. Well, whatever. None of us are listening to her right now anyway._

_-Fang_

* * *

The Flock was alive. My name was on Fang's Blog, so they hadn't forgotten me. And they were in Kentucky, which was pretty near Virginia.

I had to find them.

* * *

_**So yes, in answer to all your questions, the Flock is still alive. **_

_**Review!!!!!!**_


	6. Goodbye, Virginia

**_Thank you again to all amazing reviewers--- I love you guys!!! xx And if you could keep on with the amazingness, I could maybe just get super-motivated and write some REALLY good chapters... you never know... _**

**_Well, here's the next chapter, as by demand. Hope you like it!_**

**Goodbye, Virginia**

"Yeah, Mrs. Cheatham. Sorry, but I'm moving out of the area," I said, holding Louis' cell phone close to my ear.

"_Again?" _Mrs. Cheatham shrieked down the phone.

"Mm-hmm," I said. "Sorry for the inconvenience."

"Well," Mrs. Cheatham said briskly. "Will you be back, Ariel, dear? Is this just a temporary move?"

"I'm not sure," I replied, somewhat boredly. "Sorry."

And I put the phone down, a huge smile on my face.

"Whoa," Louis said. "You've got some guts. I bet she's really mad."

"It's not like I'll be seeing her again anytime soon," I replied jovially. "No more school for me."

"You've only been there one day," he chuckled.

"Yeah, so what?" I said. "It's not like it was _fun_."

He laughed, then suddenly, said, "Are you actually leaving?"

"Um…yes," I replied. "Why else d'you think I quit school?"

"So you _are _leaving?" he asked again.

"Yeah, I am," I said.

_So I'll never see her again? _he thought. _This freaking sucks. I thought…_

I looked up at him. Damn, I was going to miss him. So we only had one date, but you couldn't blame me for liking the guy. He was nice and cute and funny and pretty cool. Of course I liked him.

"I'll miss you," I said.

"Yeah, same," he told me, and kissed me once, softly on the lips.

I wound my hands around his neck and pulled him closer. He put one hand on the curve of my waist and the other in my hair.

"I miss you already," he told me as we broke apart and just stood there, facing one another.

"Me too," I whispered. "I promise I'll visit sometime. Give me your number, and I'll call you as well."

"Sure," he said, and stretched his arm out to scrawl a number on a notepad. He ripped the piece of paper out and tucked it into my jeans pocket.

"I've got to go quite soon," I said. "It's already four o'clock…"

"Hold on," he suddenly said, and sprinted upstairs. He came down a few minutes later carrying some kind of container. He gave it to me with a small smile. I looked down at it and grinned.

It was a can of SpagBol.

"Memories, memories," I said. "Thanks. I feel really bad now for not giving you anything."

"Don't worry about it," he said dismissively.

"I have to go now," I muttered. "Don't want to, though."

"See you around then, I guess," he said with a shrug.

"Yeah, see you around," I replied.

I stretched up on my tiptoes and gave him one quick kiss on the lips, before leaving the big white house on Number 57. Total was right. Relationships between humans and Avian-Americans really didn't work.

That reminded me. I had to find Total and tell him about the Flock.

And apologize. I had to apologize too.

* * *

"Total?" I called from the cliff-face. "Come on, Total. I know you're around here somewhere."

I focused hard on the thoughts I could hear, and, finally, I heard one familiar, angry mind.

_So she's come looking for me. Is she here to say sorry then? Should I talk to her? I don't think so. I would so rather be in Paris right now. The Mona Lisa would definitely help me feel better. And the Eiffel Tower- one of the most famous monuments of the world…God, I love Europe. She should've just stayed with her boyfriend. Louis, wasn't it? I wonder if she had fun on her date. I hope not. I hope she hated it. Like I hate her. It's just so ridicu-_

_Total? _I interrupted him.

I heard him jump, startled.

_What is it, Angel,_ he snarled back at me, a second later. _Here to apologize?_

_Yes, actually, _I thought back at him. _I'm really, really sorry and I have some news-_

_I TOLD you to use protection! _he burst out at me. _Angel, you're so irresponsible sometimes! _Then, a moment later: _Can we call the kid Total? After me?_

I smiled in relief at his forgiveness, and I almost laughed in joy as I saw him emerge from the shadows of the cliff face, looking hopeful at the prospect of having something named after him.

_I'm not pregnant, _I replied. _But Nudge is._

He did a double take, then glared at me.

_Don't joke about the Flock, _he growled. _You know they're-_

_Dead? _I finished. _Nuh-uh. They're alive, Total. They're in Kentucky, for crying out loud! Fang, Nudge, Gazzy, Iggy…Max._

_And Akila, _he was quick to add. _Whatever. Stop trying to trick me, Angel. It's really not very funny._

_No, honestly! They. Are. Alive. I just thought you'd want to know…_

_Are you actually being serious, Angel? _His tone was cynical.

_Total, trust me. I'm telling the truth. The Flock are alive, and we have to go find them._

_Kentucky? _he mumbled. _Like the fried chicken?_

_No, the town._

He gave me a look, and then burst out laughing.

I grinned. _This _was the Total I knew.

"So are you with me?" I asked out loud.

_Hell yes, _he thought. _All the way, baby._

Our gazes locked, then, almost like we had never stopped doing it, we stacked our fists on top of each other.

_There are six fists missing, _Total thought sadly.

_Not for long, _I thought back. _The Flock are still alive, Total. We won't be alone for much longer._

Then, practically lethargically, we withdrew our fists, and, smiling broadly at each other, we took to the air, flapping our coal-black and pearly-white wings.

**So…what did you think? Did you like it/hate it/love it? Either way, please review and tell me… the little green button's just there, waiting for you to click on it… You know you want to. Or not. Whichever.**

**But if you do, I will be ECSTATIC.**

**Only saying, though. It's your choice.**

**(But if you do…) *smiles***


	7. Angelica Total

**_This has got to be the longest chapter I've written so far. It's all thanks to your reviews, I must say. Reviews help. A lot. _**

**_Anway, enjoy!_**

**Angelica Total**

"He gave you _SpagBol?_" Total scoffed. "That was _really _romantic of him. Boy, Angel, you sure did land a good one."

"Shut up," I said with a grin. "He's really cool, actually."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

I gave him a playful slap. "Hey, watch it! I really like this guy, 'kay?"

Total faked a mortally-wounded face. "You like him better than me?" he whispered. "How can it be?"

"Get rid of the puppy dog eyes, Total," I said. "They really aren't working."

_Well, _he thought. _Angel, since I AM a dog, I don't think it's that big a crime…_

_Shut up, _I repeated. _Louis is awesome._

_Awesome, huh? But can he really be as awesome as moi? The great Total the mutant terrier?_

_Uh, let me think, _I answered. _Yes._

_Really and truly?_

_Well, he could be beaten in the whole personal fragrance thing, you know? That gross, stinky dog odour you have about you? Yeah, he doesn't quite have that._

_Ha ha, _he chuckled drily. _That's so funny. You just crack me up, Angel._

_What an achievement._

_Ouch, _Total replied. _You got me where it hurt, didn't you?_

_Bull's-eye, _I said with a smirk.

_Touché._

He perked up again a second later, this time speaking out loud.

"So you really think Nudge is pregnant?" he asked.

"I _know _she is," I replied. "And she wants to keep the baby, apparently."

"Keep it?" he said. "Why?"

"Um, because it's her baby?" I said. "Because it's the fruit of her womb?"

He gave me a look. "Where did you learn _that _word from?"

"Total, I'm sixteen," I retorted.

"Gawd, I'm sorry," he said, rolling his eyes.

"All I want to know is," I began, completely ignoring him, "who the _hell _is the father?"

"An eagle?" he commented.

I shot him a glare.

"It's probably just some human kid," I said finally.

"Yeah, 'cause Nudge just goes around sleeping with humans while on the run?" he said sarcastically. "Uh-huh. _So _possible."

"Are you actually suggesting that she slept with a bird?" I asked. "Like, while in mid-air?"

"Can you even _do _that?" Total wanted to know.

"I don't know," I said drily. "_I've _never tried."

"But really, how would you do that?" Total asked, in awe. "She must be _really _flexible."

I covered my ears, but, of course, I could still hear his thoughts.

_Man, NUDGE of all people? In the air? Like some kind of-_

"Total!" I burst out. "_Please _keep your thoughts under control; it's kinda gross."

He cocked his head. "How?"

"You're thinking about a girl who is practically my older sister having sex in the air," I said. "And that is not gross how?"

"I see your point," he eventually said. "But how-"

"I _really _don't want to know how," I interrupted. "D'you think it could've been Gazzy or someone?"

"_No," _we both said together.

"Iggy?" Total suggested.

I shook my head.

"That's _way _too gross to think about," I said.

Total smirked. "Threesome?"

"Total, shut up!" I yelled. "Your mind is just so-"

"True?"

"Can we just focus on flying?" I said. "Or I'm gonna hurl."

"Sure, sure," he said, suddenly anxious. "Just don't do it over me, okay?"

"I will if you carry on talking," I warned.

He changed the subject quickly.

"Hey, Angel, can we land? My wings can't cope with five hours straight flying."

"Of course," I said. "We'll rest for a while, then we can carry on."

"We'll rest for a _night_," he corrected.

"Fine," I answered. "One night only, though."

"One night only," he repeated. "Fine."

* * *

"Can I have a room?" I asked the concierge at the desk.

"Which room would you like, miss?" he asked in a bored voice. "We have a suite, a family roo-"

"A suite," I said. "Is that the best? 'Cause, you know, I want the best you've got."

He raised his eyebrows at me, and slowly typed something into a computer.

"We have a suite available. How many nights, may I ask, are you staying?" he eventually said.

"Just one," I replied.

His eyes finally settled on Total beside me.

_Dogs are allowed, _I thought fiercely.

"And your dog," he slurred, "is allowed also. Would you please sign your name down below? Your first name here; surname in this column, and lastly your room number."

I scribbled down a fake name: _Angelica Total._

_Thanks, _Total thought drily, _for letting me be your surname._

_My pleasure, _I replied.

"What's my room number?" I asked the guy.

"Your room is number 69, floor 9," he replied. "How will you be paying, miss?"

I planted three words in his brain: _she's already paid._

"I see, you have already paid," he said. "Alright then, follow me to your room."

He went over to the elevator, and pressed the _call lift _button.

_Strange…the girl doesn't have any baggage, _he was thinking._ Is she running away from home? I'd better call the police._

"I'm not running away from home, just so you know," I told him, looking him square in the eye. "And I don't need any baggage."

He looked positively terrified now, and when the lift arrived, he squeaked at us to get in.

_Nice one, Angel, _Total thought with a snigger. _You really creeped this one out._

I smirked back at him, and listened to the concierge's thoughts once more.

_Who did this girl say she was again, and where the hell did she come from?_

"Angelica Total," I said, biting my lip to keep myself from laughing. "From…Florida."

_Shit…she did it again. That freaky mind-reading thing. Is she a psychic?_

"No," I replied. "I'm not a psychic."

_Holy crap! Is this some sort of joke?_ His eyes narrowed. _How old is she anyway? She looks about…nineteen._

_He thinks I'm nineteen, _I thought at Total.

_NINETEEN? _Total thought. _Whatever. You could pass for twenty-one. Easily._

_Really? _I thought.

"I'm twenty-one, actually," I said out loud. "I was nineteen two years ago."

_Liar, _Total told me with a small grin.

The guy's eyes widened.

"What about you…" I glanced down at his nametag. "…_Sampson?"_

_I'm thirty-four, _he thought. _Birthday's June the 25__th__._

"I'm turning twenty-eight in three weeks," he said.

I widened my eyes. "Oh, it's just that you look like you're turning thirty-five on the 25th of June."

That was when the lift stopped at floor nine.

"This is your floor," he muttered as we got out. "Here is your card-key- don't lose it- and your room is on the first right, down the corridor."

_Bloody psychics, _he thought as the lift door began to shut. _They're all liars._

"I'm not!" I yelled at him. "I'm not a liar!"'

And then Total and I burst out laughing.

"I'm not a liar," Total said in a ridiculously high-pitched voice. "Hilarious, _Angelica_. Hilarious."

"Was that supposed to be an imitation of me?" I answered, putting a hand on my hip.

"What, didn't it sound like you?"

"Only _Gazzy _can do imitations, Total," I said.

He looked shocked for a moment, before nodding.

"I miss them," he whispered.

"So do I, Total," I said.

"I miss them all: Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, Akila…"

"But we'll see them soon," I said positively.

"Maybe we should check it out on the computer," Total suggested. "You know, on that website you were talking about. Fang's Blog."

"D'you think the concierge will have a computer?" I asked, a smile tugging at my lips.

"Yeah, probably. But let's go check out our room first- I want to see if there's a good view," Total replied.

"Why?"

"I like good views," Total replied defensively. "Don't you?"

"I only like good views if they come with big windows," I said. "So that we can jump out if necessary."

"That's true, I guess," he said.

We walked over to room number 69, and the door clicked open as I swiped the card-key through the lock. We went inside. It was a really, really nice room- a suite. The bathroom was huge, with a great big marble shower; the living room was equipped with a 32-inch flat-screen TV and a fireplace; the bedroom had one king-sized bed and another smaller TV; and the window basically stretched out over the walls of the entire room.

"The view…" Total breathed. "It's _magnificent._"

"I don't care if it's freaking magnificent," I said angrily. "We can't open the window."

"We can…break through it?" Total proposed.

"Fine," I said sourly. "We'll have to break through it. Later, though."

"Shall we go check out the computer now, then?" Total asked, tearing his gaze from the view.

"Let's go," I agreed.

* * *

_Oh, bloody hell, it's HER._

I almost smiled at the concierge's terror, but instead, kept my face straight- a clean, emotionless poker face.

"Do you have a computer we can borrow?" I asked sweetly.

_No, _he thought.

"Yes," he said. "But it's not for guests. Although, if you have a laptop, we have Wi-Fi."

_Lend her your computer, _I thought. _Give it to her._

"Alright, then," he sighed. "Just this once."

_Leave them in privacy._

"I'll just go out for a while," he said. "There's a really good McDonald's down the road."

"Hey, Sampson!" the other concierge shouted, looking horrified, as Sampson walked out of the hotel. "What the hell are you doing?"

_Follow him, _I thought. _Leave with him._

"Uh, wait, Sampson! I'm coming!" he yelled after him, and started to sprint after his colleague.

_We're alone now, _Total thought happily. _Good going there, Angel._

_They were really starting to bug me, _I thought back.

Then, remembering what I had done in Louis' house, I pressed the little blue 'e', clicked on Google, and typed _Fang's Blog _into the search bar. I clicked the first result.

* * *

Yo,

Thanks for everyone's awesome replies. You guys really should have, like, a shrine dedicated to you or something. You rock.

So, back to the point: the pregnant Nudge. And you guys out there are right; how the _hell _does a mutant kid on the run get knocked up? Got an answer? Tell us. Right now, the kid's having a pretty hard time anyway, 'cause everyone's kind of ganging up against her. Except Iggy, which is weird. Especially Max. Gazzy and me are kind of like '_whatever' _all the time, but we still want to figure out how to get rid of the thing. We're all for saving life and crap, but seriously? You think we want a crying, screaming, pissing, starving little _thing _to look after? Not a chance.

-Fang

* * *

We scrolled down to the comments.

* * *

**mansions-r-only-cool-if-they-come-with-cars writes:**

What's Max doing about the whole thing? Can't your leader just sort it out?

_mansions-r-only-cool-if-they-come-with-cars,_

_We're having a pretty hard time holding Max back right now. She's trying to, and I quote, 'rip apart the freaking idiot who f***ed my sister. Then I'll come back and scream a whole lot more at Nudge.' So Max is kind of- what's the phrase?- blinded by rage at the mo. So she's no help right now._

_-Fang_

**NNNNNNNa writes:**

Can I _adopt _the kid then? Nudge gets her way, and you get yours. I'll call the kid Princess Dolly. Cute, right?

_NNNNNNNa,_

_The kid is not- and I repeat- NOT going to be called Princess anything. And anyway, Nudge isn't having the kid. You think we want a nine-stone-heavier mutant kid around? How the HELL do you think she's going to be able to fly carrying all that weight? And what if the kid comes out while we're flying? What are we gonna do? Find a doctor? Yeah, we're SO going to do that, since there are so many doctors in the sky._

_Here's a tip: think before you post. I'll appreciate it._

_-Fang_

**HelloKittyWannaB writes:**

Go to a vet.

_HelloKittyWannaB,_

_I hate you. We aren't animals._

_-Fang_

**PEtErTheCoolReIndEeR writes:**

Who's the dad?

_PEtErTheCoolReIndEeR,_

_We don't know. Nudge isn't saying. Wait a sec---are YOU the dad? Are YOU the knocker-upper? Hey, a word of warning. Max is probably gonna burst into your house at any moment and, uh, rip you apart. So, you know, watch out. Or not. I wouldn't mind her ripping apart the guy I hate the most right now. (unless HelloKittyWannaB is a guy. Then u come second)._

_-Fang_

* * *

And, finally:

* * *

**McFlyisAWESOM writes:**

Are you in Kentucky? Like, where in Kentucky? We'll come drop the donation cash off for you there.

_McFlyisAWESOM,_

_We all love you, apparently. And we're in this place called Lexington. Just drop off the cash in Southend park? We'll be the kids with wings._

_-Fang_


	8. Malfunction on the WAy

**_I've nothing to say, so...um... happy reading, everyone!_**

**Malfunction on the Way**

It took me twenty loooooong seconds to break through the window. Stupid paranoid hotel used bulletproof glass.

Total and I leapt off the side, me grabbing a bag of things that I had 'borrowed' from the suite. At the last moment, I pulled Total close to me, holding him to my chest as I spiraled further and further away from the building. The alarms were already going off.

"Why can't I fly?" Total barked angrily.

"'Cause you're too slow," I answered, glancing backwards anxiously to see if anyone had found us yet. Sure enough, with my raptor vision, I could see a bunch of people running to the doorway, gawping at the shattered window. Then they looked at the broken TV on the ground. So I needed a bit of help. Sue me, why don't you?

"Can they see us?" Total asked.

"No," I said. "We're too far away. Humans can't see this far."

He grinned in relief, then struggled free from my arms. "So, where're we headed?"

"Southend Park, Lexington," I said. "We need to head East for a while."

He threw me a strange look, as if to say, _you sure?_

"And I'm pretty sure I'm right," I quickly added. "I've never been wrong before, Total. Never ever."

His eyes brightened. "We're gonna see the Flock."

"Way to go, Captain Obvious," I muttered.

"When d'you think we'll get there?" Total asked.

"Uh…to Southend Park? Probably by tonight."

"So late?" he said, sounding upset.

"Hey, that's only if there's traffic," I teased.

He still looked depressed.

"Total, that was a _joke_," I said.

He looked at me and laughed sarcastically. "Ha, ha. So when _will_ we get there?"

"Two, three hours, tops," I said.

"Sure?"

"Positive," I replied.

"So we'll get there by-" He twisted around to look at my watch. "Five thirty?"

"We'll stop off for some food on the way, so maybe a bit later," I said.

He looked pained. "Do we _have _to stop off?"

"Well, _yeah. _Unless you want to starve," I said, rolling my eyes. "Flying's pretty tiring, as you know."

He sighed, and fell silent.

_Total? _I asked.

_Angel, I just- do we HAVE to stop off? I want to see the Flock so badly…_

_We've been waiting ten years, _I told him. _Ten minutes isn't going to make a difference._

_Fine, fine, _he thought eventually. _To tell you the truth, I'm actually quite-_

_Hungry? _I finished. _Yeah, me too._

_I was going to say thirsty, actually. But, yes, _he admitted, _I'm hungry, too. God, what I would GIVE for a double-decker chocolate fudge cake._

_Topped off with strawberries and loads and loads of sugar, _I quickly thought.

_Oh yes!_

Total was practically salivating now, and I smiled.

_Hey, Total? _I asked.

_Mm-hmm?_

_You'd better watch it with that spit, _I thought. _Some unfortunate person down below could- uh- think it was raining._

He shut his jaws.

_Well, Angel, YOU'D better watch it with those looks. I haven't changed that much, but you have. The Flock might not recognize you. You were puny when we last saw them._

_Puny? _I thought. _I think not. Nice ( pathetic) try at a comeback, though._

_But I'm making a good point, _he commented. _Aren't I?_

_So…what? You want me to look like this?_

I pictured myself as a six-year-old again, with bouncy blonde hair and an eight-foot wingspan. Baby Angel.

"So, whaddaya think?" I asked. "Would they recognize me now?"

His eyes were watering.

_Total? _I burst out; and if you can double over with laughter while flying, I was doing it. _Are you crying?_

_No, _he thought. _Nuh-uh. No tears. D'you see any tears? DO YOU?_

_Um…yes._

He blinked them away. _Now?_

_You missed a tiny speck just there- _I pointed at the corner of his eye- _Yeah, you got it. _Then, _Oh my God. You did not just cry._

_No, I didn't, _he thought defensively. _It's just that you looked like that before._

_No duh. _I rolled my eyes, and laughed. _Was I really that ugly as a kid? So ugly that I made you cry?_

_No, I was NOT crying! _he burst out. _Something got in my eye, that's all._

I looked around.

_What was it? _I teased. _A bit of cloud?_

_Fine, I was crying. A tiny, tiny bit, _he finally admitted._ It just reminded me of when we were with the Flock, that's all._

There was a moment's silence.

_Everything reminds me of them, _I thought. _Like, take that scuff on the back of my shoe. Gazzy used to have scuffs all over his shoes. Remember?_

He nodded. _And that jacket you're wearing is the same colour as Fang's hair._

_Black's a pretty popular colour these days, _I agreed.

_But we'll see them soon. In, like- _he looked at my watch- _an hour and a half._

But I didn't answer. I had stopped, mid-flight, the expression on my face one of disbelief.

_Angel? Angel, you okay? _Total was asking suddenly. _Hey, Angel!_

My wings were tiring again. Really badly. I gritted my teeth, trying to move them, but every flap was a new burst of pain in my shoulders, in my wings.

"Total," I whimpered, as one wing gave way to the terrible pain, and the other had to manage. I was spinning in circles now, and experiencing a strong sense Déjà vu. I remembered the last time this happened, with that guy…Mike.

"Angel, what's wrong?" Total asked. "Angel, tell me. What's the matter with your wing?"

Then, all of a sudden, my wings felt like they were on fire. I screamed as I felt the burning reach the tips of my wings, and my eyes were blinded by darkness.

I slumped forwards onto Total.

* * *

**_Total's POV_**

I grabbed her shirt between my teeth, and flapped my wings furiously, trying to keep flying. But her weight was too much for me, and we were losing altitude. Fast. It was either both of us go down or just her. _No_. I could work this out.

_Angel, _I thought fiercely. _Angel, Angel, Angel. What's wrong? What happened? ANGEL!_

No response.

And we were still falling.

_Angel, come on. Talk to me! We're gonna see the Flock, remember? Snap out of it. This isn't time for acting, Miss Drama Queen. Wake up, Angel. Please. For me. For the Flock. For Max…_

Again, nothing.

I glanced down, and my eyes widened. Already I could see the trees below rapidly coming up to meet us...

And then, with one final burst of energy, I stopped us in the air. It didn't last for long, however, and her weight began to pull me down again.

I let go.

Angel dropped like a stone, and I stayed there for a second, hating myself for what I had done. I hoped to God that I hadn't killed her. Then, after hearing a sickening thud, I swooped down to her unconscious figure.

I pressed my ear to her heart, and listened, hard.

_Ba-doom. Ba-doom. Ba-doom._

I sighed in relief. Her heartbeat was still intact, if not a little weak.

"Angel," I whispered. "I promise I'll be back."

With one last look at her, I pitched myself into the air, and flew away, as fast as my little, exhausted wings could carry me.

**_So Total starred quite a bit in this chapter... Was it good/bad? Review and tell me!_**

**_xxxx_**

* * *


	9. Little Sister

**__**

Sorry for the slow update-- hope this chapter makes up for it!

**My Little Sister**

Darkness.

Silence.

Nothing.

Damn, it was absolute bliss.

Now and then, stray thoughts would pass through my head, but I cast them aside. Then suddenly, a fierce, loud thought rippled through me. I felt myself shudder internally, recognizing the voice, but not quite… It left me, and I was back in the silence.

A second later, I heard the thought again. I wanted to bring my hands up over my ears to make it _shut up. _But as it flitted through my head again, I suddenly, swiftly, knew who it was.

And wanted to cry.

_Angel? Is it really her? ANGEL? Please let her wake up…Please let her not be dead…_

It was Max. My Max.

I wanted to reach out and touch her, see her, know where the voice was coming from…But no. I must have become blind, like Iggy was, because all I could see was black. I thrashed about blindly, looking for her. I couldn't see her anywhere. I forced myself to open my mouth and speak aloud, or to stretch out to let her know that I wasn't dead, but I couldn't move. So that was out of the question.

Actually, maybe I _was _dead.

Maybe this was all some sick joke that heaven up there was playing on me. _No_. It couldn't be. I, who had left my Flock, would not go to heaven. I would go to hell.

So_ this_ was hell.

_Oh, my baby…_

I shuddered involuntarily. It had been what, two minutes? And already I hated hell. _Despised _it. I wouldn't have minded carrying hot freaking coals every second of my life, or being stabbed all over, but I could've dealt with that. At least that wouldn't have been as painful as this- hearing Max's voice.

_Open your eyes, Angel. Please…_

Max's voice shook, like she was crying. She never cried. She was our strong leader. And hell was making her cry. God, I hated this.

Then I heard something else; something that made me recoil in shock

_What the hell is she doing? I need to get her away from there. Max, the idiot. Leaving us like that for a…what? A dead body? Man, that girl has GOT to get her priorities sorted out, or else Nudge is gonna be the one who's gonna end up a freaking corpse._

It was Fang. An angry, majorly pissed-off Fang.

_Why is she touching it? Is she crying? Why freaking now?_

All of a sudden I understood who the 'dead body' that Max was crying over was. It was me. Fang thought I was an _it._

My whole body quivered. My already wet eyes glazed over again, and tears started spewing down my face. I was running then, in my mind, trying to reach my Flock. I remembered all of them so clearly: Max, Fang, Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, Akila…and now Fang thought I was an _it. _I was worse than the baby they wanted to get rid of, who he had called 'the kid'. I was just _it. _

_Max! _I thought. _Max, can you hear me? MAX?_

No answer, just overwhelming emotions coming from her. Mostly sadness. Some anger. A tiny bit of madness; like the crazy, barmy, mentally-hyper type of madness. Like the feeling you get before you jump off a cliff. You know the one. Or maybe you don't, since you've never actually jumped off a cliff. Well, whatever.

Fang's sour thoughts came again.

_Oh, man. She's not leaving it. I'm gonna have to go get rid of it myself…_

I felt a prickle of fear. Fang was going to get rid of me.

_Fang? _I heard Max think, abruptly switching from the feeling of immense sadness to up-and-aware. _What the freaking hell is he doing here? I thought none of them followed me and Total… Oh, God, _Total. _He can't see Total. Not yet. He would freak._

_Max, _Fang was thinking, silently furious. _Max has to get away from there. She has to be our leader. Why is she guarding a weak, dead human?_

_Human?_ I thought bitterly. _Oh no he didn't._

Then I listened to Max's thoughts: _Crap. Fang can't see her wings yet. I need to tuck them in._

_What is she DOING? God, she has to MOVE. I am going to literally bust that corpse up for taking up my freaking time._

Oh God, oh God, oh God. He was going to bust me up.

_He looks so angry…_Max thought. _But I won't let him hurt Angel. He can't hurt his little sister. His other little sister._

I heard Fang's soft landing; heard his feet graze the grass lightly, before he walked slowly, tensely, over to Max.

"Max," I heard him say quietly. "Leave that thing."

"No."

"Max…" His voice had reached a warning tone, now. "Get away from that dead _thing._"

"No!" yelled Max.

And then my eyes opened.

* * *

"Max, Fang…" I managed to mumble.

They both spun around to look at me. Fang shot daggers at Max.

"The dead thing is alive," he said. "And it knows our names? God, Max, what kind of game d'you think you're playing?"

"You don't understand," she whispered back, sounding happier than I had ever heard her.

Then she ran over to me, and hugged me so tightly that I couldn't breathe. I saw a muscle in the corner of his jaw twitch. Fang didn't look angry any more. He looked freaking murderous.

"Max," he snarled. "Get. Your. Hands. Off. It."

There were tears in her eyes when she turned back around, and she looked directly at him.

"Fang. This is Angel," she said quietly. "It's our little sister."

I winced at the pain, but I snapped out my white wings to their full length. Fang's eyes widened, and when Total bounded out from behind a tree, his mouth dropped open.

A first.

"Angel?" he said finally.

I nodded numbly, then, without even knowing where the energy came from, threw myself into his arms, sobbing hysterically.

"I missed you all so much," I wept. "It's been ten years, and I thought you were all dead…"

"Shh," Fang mumbled in my hair, sounding, frankly, pretty shell-shocked. "We missed you too, Angel."

After what seemed like an hour, Fang let go of me and turned to Max. I could've sworn I saw a glimmer of a tear in his eye, but it was gone in an instant.

"Max," he said evenly. "Why the hell did you not _tell _me that you found Angel?"

"I just had to be sure," she said. "When Total came and found me, I didn't want everyone else to feel disappointed, just in case…"

"I would've been able to deal with it," Fang said.

"Deal with what?" I interrupted.

_Her death, _they both thought at the same time.

"My death?" I whispered.

Immediately, I saw the regret on both their faces. After ten years, they must have forgotten to control their thoughts.

"It's just-" Max began.

"I'm _sixteen_ now, you guys," I said, my voice breaking. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

"We know, sweetie," Max said. "And we're sorry. But just think about it from, say, _Gazzy's _point of view. If he saw his little sister, dead, what do you think would happen to him?"

"I'm sorry," I said eventually.

Max pulled me into another hug.

"Don't worry about it," she murmured. "Let's just get you back to the Flock. Can you fly okay?"

I nodded, then did a running takeoff into the air. My wings struggled with the strain for a moment, then they were fine. Max, Fang and Total followed.

I smiled a huge smile.

The reason?

I nearly had my whole Flock back.

**_So whoever wanted a big-ish reunion got one. Even Fang may have shed a tear- _**

**_let's say it together, on three: _**

**_awwwww!_**


	10. No More Secrets

**_So...what do the Flock think about Angel and Total's return??? Just read on!----- :P_**

**No More Secrets**

"Okay, Angel," Max instructed me. "Keep quiet and don't move. We're just going to tell them about you and Total, and then they can come to you. Otherwise, there'll be a whole mix-up and the Flock will, um…you know?"

I nodded. Of course I knew. I was a mind-reader.

"The Flock will…overreact," I said plainly, trying to keep the giddy excitement out of my voice.

"Exactly," Max replied, and hugged me tight one last time. "So stay here."

I gripped Total tighter to me as she and Fang left for the entrance of the cave, and I pressed myself closer to the rocky surfaces around me. Total whined in protest, but I shushed him. I wanted to see the Flock's reaction.

A while later, there was a flapping of wings, then two, then, finally, three. I tensed as Max stepped forwards.

"Hey guys," she said softly. "We've got something to tell you."

From where I was, I saw Nudge's eyes widen. "_You're _pregnant, too?" she burst out, furious. "You go and shout at me, then you get pregnant with Fang's kid? Oh, that's just so _hypocritical._"

I wondered why as soon as someone said that they had something to say, the other person would immediately think they were pregnant. Like that time I went to apologize to Total, and he thought me and Louis… _Damn,_ Louis. I hadn't called him yet.

I looked back at the Flock. Fang's cheeks were dashed with red, and Max was stuttering.

"They're embarrassed," Total whispered to me.

"You don't _say_," I hissed back. "Shh."

"So, what is it then?" I recognized Iggy's voice, although it was deeper…older…

"We saw some…old friends today," Fang said quietly.

"Ella and Dr. Martinez?" Nudge asked, confused. "But we see them quite regularly now-"

"Ari?" Gazzy growled. "Was it the big wolf guy?"

"He's _dead, _Gazzy," Iggy pointed out.

"Yeah, but he came back from the dead once before," the Gasman argued. "Right?"

"'S true," Iggy agreed, nodding. "But-"

"Guys," Fang interrupted, and the fierce look in his eyes made them stop at once. "This is really important. We didn't see Ari or Jeb or the Martinezes."

"Do we _have _other friends?" Nudge asked plainly. "Who d'you see?"

"We saw," Max whispered, "Angel and Total."

To say the Flock flipped out would be an understatement.

Iggy practically began screaming at Max and Fang: "What the _hell, _you guys! Is this some kind of sick joke? Man, you two, when we had nearly gotten over them you decide to plant a big one on us? You sickos. Oh, man. Angel and Total?"

And Iggy never screams.

Nudge put one hand on her stomach and burst into huge, shaking sobs.

The Gasman was the worst. He just silenced, looking up at Max and Fang with a look of utter disbelief. I saw tears welling up in his eyes, but he blinked them away. "Angel…?" I heard him whisper.

Total whimpered quietly beside me, and Max stepped forwards.

"Guys, listen up!" she shouted.

Iggy kept shouting; Nudge was still crying; Gazzy still looked taken aback.

"Everyone, shut the hell up!" Fang bellowed.

Instant silence.

_He might as well be our leader, _I heard Max think, a little annoyed.

_Max, be strong. _I sent her the thought, and her face cracked out in a small smile.

"This morning," she began to explain to the Flock, "When I was up here, Total came to find me. He took me some miles East, and there was Angel. At first, I thought she was dead-" This earned another snivel from Nudge "-but then I realized she was just unconscious. Fang followed me, and Angel woke up. She never died ten years ago, you guys. She's still alive. We just got separated, that's all."

Gazzy was the first to speak.

"You bitch," he snarled.

I was shocked, and so, it seemed, were the rest of the Flock. Gazzy had always been the upbeat, cheerful kid of the Flock (with the exception of, perhaps, Nudge), and I had _never _heard him swear like that before. Not _at _someone. Not at _Max._

Max was about to say something, when she stopped herself. I considered running out, screaming _"Look, guys! I'm here! I'm alive! Believe Max!" _but she had told me to stay until she told me to come. So I didn't move.

"It's been ten years," Fang continued, taking over, "So you've also gotta accept that she's a sixteen-year-old now. She's older and more…mature. She's no baby girl anymore."

"What makes you think that we believe you?" Gazzy sneered, with as much venom as he could muster. "My kid sister is dead. _Dead, _okay? So quit playing freaky games with me."

"Gazzy…" Max said. "Just trust me, alright?"

The Gasman shot her an ice-cold glare, and I heard the thought run through her head: _if looks could kill, I'd be dead a thousand times over by now._

And the sad thing was that she was right.

_Max, _I thought. _Should I come yet?_

_No. Not yet, Angel._

But I was desperate, so I tried Fang.

_Fang? FANG? Should I come out?_

_What did Max say? _he replied. And then a smile flickered for a second across his face. _I meant, what did she THINK?_

_Oh, you're so hilarious, _I answered. _How can you deal with this? Gazzy SWORE, for God's sake. My older brother never swears. And Iggy never shouts. And Nudge shouldn't have to put herself through this stress- she's pregnant, for crying out loud! Can't we just cut it short and let us come on out? _

_What did Max think? _he thought again.

God, he was so _freaking _stubborn.

_Max told me that I should wait, _I thought finally.

_So, wait._

_What if I don't want to? _I retorted. _What if I want to come out now?_

He shrugged. _It's your loss. Do whatever you want, Angel, I don't really care. 'Cause I'M not gonna be the one getting my ass kicked all the way back to the sixties._

_Aw, thanks, _I thought, putting all the sarcasm I could into his mind. _You're just such a nice guy._

_Yeah, well, you know. I try my best._

I gave up, and turned my attention back to the conversation between Max and the Flock.

"So, if she and Total _are _still alive," Iggy was saying, and Max literally heaved a sigh of relief, "Where the hell are they right now?"

_Max? _I thought. _Should I come out now?_

_No, wait a while longer._

_You sure?_

_Angel. Just wait._

I could've burst a freaking blood vessel then.

"They're around here somewhere," Max replied.

Even Gazzy looked up at this.

"Where?" Iggy asked.

"That doesn't matter yet," Max said. "But-"

"How did they know where we were, anyway?" Nudge cut in.

The Gasman's eyes narrowed, and he turned away again.

"Yeah, how did they know where we were?" he asked acidly. "They'd had ten years to look for us, and then they suddenly just hit gold. Was that it?"

Max was floored. She had no idea how we had found them. Her eyes flickered from side to side, and Fang threw a look at her.

"Huh," Gazzy said at last. "You don't know."

_Max, _I thought at her, _it was because of-_

"Fang's Blog," Total said happily, wrenching free of my grip and bounding across the cave. "Fang's Blog saved us again."

Everyone (except Max's and Fang's) jaws were literally touching the ground.

"Hey, what's with the long faces, everyone?" he asked.

Typical.

It was just like Total to say something like that.


	11. Akila

**_Sorry for the extreeeeemly slow update, but here's chapter 11!!!_**

**Akila**

The Gasman's eyes widened in shock; Nudge gasped; Iggy let out an astonished _"What the hell?"_

"Total?" Iggy whispered. "I thought I just heard Total's voice…"

"Yeah," Total grinned. "We're back, and we missed you all so much."

"Hold it, hold it," Gazzy interrupted. "Didja just say _we_?"

_Angel…_

The thought passed through their heads all at once, and I stepped out of the shadows. They all swiveled around to look at me, blind joy and disbelief on their faces.

"Here I am," I said quietly.

Nudge was by me in an instant, pulling me into a tight hug, tears spewing out of her eyes. Iggy and the Gasman just stayed where they were. That hurt a lot. Then Max whispered, "Eight o'clock, Ig," and he made for where I was standing, muttering "Gawd, I hate being blind". I was surprised at how strong he had gotten, and when he gripped me in a bone-crushing bear hug, I swallowed down a yell, and hugged him back, beginning to cry a little. Okay, a lot.

But Gazzy wasn't moving at all.

"Are you sure that's her?" he finally said. "She just looks like a human to me."

I scowled.

"Of course she's Angel," Max said. "Gazzy, she's your _sister."_

His lips tightened into a thin line. "Prove it, then."

I snapped out my wings. His breath caught in his throat, but he narrowed his eyes.

"The School's got new mutant kids like us," he said. "Nice."

"Gazzy-" Max began.

"What?" he said, swivelling around to glare at her. "I don't know this kid at all! Sure, she has wings, but so what? You know more than any of us that the School are capable of making new mutant freaks! Just 'cause she's a blonde-haired, blue-eyed winged human, it doesn't mean that she's my sister!"

I wanted to yell at him, but, instead, pictured myself as Max, and morphed into her. Then I morphed, one by one, into each member of the Flock, until I became the Gasman himself.

"I'm Angel," I told him stiffly, morphing back into myself.

"Great," he said, sounding kind of bored.

"For Chrissakes!" I burst out. "God, it's _me, _Gazzy! How can you not recognize your own _freaking _sister? You want proof that it's me? Well, how 'bout this? I can breathe under water! I talk to fish! I used to have an angel bear called Celeste…" The tears were hot and wet as they slid down my cheeks now, and I was rambling like an idiot. But I couldn't help it. "And I remember everything we did together…I remember finding out our parents _sold _us to the school…I remember how I took Total from Itex, and Fang said we could keep him… I remember when Max had to fight the other Max… I remember when the Flock split up the first time because of Ari…I remember when Iggy got blind…_I'm _Angel, Gazzy! I'm your baby sister!"

He looked down at the ground, then back up at me with gleaming eyes, and a little smile.

"Do you remember the time when we were in the School, in the cages, and I told you something really important? You- I mean, _Angel,-_ were, like three or four. It was the first time we actually met."

"Yes," I answered quickly.

"What did I say?" he shot backed.

I didn't answer. _Shoot. _What _did _he say?

I looked at him, and saw him looking suspiciously back at me. Then he grinned a little, and raised an eyebrow. So it was some kind of test. He wanted to test me to see if I _was _the real Angel. I smirked. This would be easy.

And I read his mind.

* * *

_The little girl, her blonde hair clammy with sweat and her eyes wide, comes back into the room. The boy recognizes her instantly, but can't remember how… _

_He watches as one whitecoat turns a key in a lock, then he shoves her into the cage next to him. She whimpers as her head strikes the top of the metal, then they slap her and kick her further in._

"_Don't ruin the experiment!" someone bellows, furious. "Treat it carefully!"_

_Her lifeless eyes blazes with a sort of fury. "It?" she mumbles._

_Then the whitecoats leave, shutting the white door with a slam. She slumps against the back of her cage. He suddenly sees that she has wings. Just like him. The boy moves a little so that he is facing her through his bars. He tries to smile at her, and she manages a little grin back._

"_Hey," he whispers._

"_Hello," she answers._

_Then she gasps, and he reaches out to her, worried._

"_What's wrong?" he asks her._

"_I…" she says quietly, then her blue-eyed gaze is boring into his. "I'm your sister."_

_Suddenly it comes to him, in a huge, tumbling rush of knowledge. He knows now why he had recognized her. It is because she looks exactly like him, only a girl. In that instant, something passes between them._

"_My sister…" he murmurs._

"_Yes, I am," she replies, and, out of nowhere, he lets rip with an enormous Bbbrrrppp! She giggles weakly. "I'm gonna call you the Gasman," she whisperes. "My big brother Gazzy."_

_He smiles. "I've never had a name," he says._

"_Neither have I," she says. "They call me subject something…like a number."_

_He looks her over, and, although she is sweaty, tired and skinny, he sees that, despite that, she looks kind of like an angel with the blonde curls, the ice-blue eyes and an air of childish innocence._

"_You're an angel," he tells her._

"_Is that my name?" she asks. "Angel? I like it."_

"_Yeah, that's your name," her big brother replies. "Your name is Angel."_

* * *

I bit my lip to stop myself crying even more.

"The whitecoats brought me to the cage next to you, and I told you that you were my brother," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "I named you the Gasman, after your, um, incident…and then you said that my name was Angel."

Gazzy's face broke into an ecstatic grin, and his eyes glistened with tears. Then he dashed over to us and hugged me harder than anyone else. The others joined in the hug (even Fang, though he looked slightly pained doing it), but I didn't notice. I finally had my big brother back, and nothing would go wrong ever again.

But someone had to ruin the moment.

Of course.

And yes, you guessed it. It was Total.

He scampered up to us hysterically, and mumbled something at my feet. No-one heard him. Then he yelled.

We spun round to face him.

"What is it, Total?" Max asked comfortingly.

"Where's…" he began in a choked voice.

"Where's what?" Nudge chimed in.

"Where's _Akila?" _he howled.

The Flock all stopped dead.

Iggy spoke first, softly. "Total, you're a mutant, so you have a… you know… a bigger lifespan than the usual dog. Akila was just the usual dog."

He shot a glare at Iggy. "Just the _usual dog?" _he snapped. "She's a _goddess!"_

"What he means, Total," Max continued, "Is that Akila didn't possess any of the differences the whitecoats programmed _you _with."

"_Didn't _possess?" Total yelped. "What d'you mean, _didn't?_ She _doesn't _possess any of my differences!_"_

"Akila was thirteen or something when she died, Total. That's a ripe old age for a Malamute," Fang said. Always the blunt one.

Total looked at him blankly. "Died?" he whispered. "She _died?"_

"A year ago," Nudge said quietly. "She just shut her eyes, fell asleep, and never woke up. She was still dreaming when we buried her in the Martinez's garden."

He still didn't say a thing.

"We all have to die sometime," Max said. "And Akila's time came. She left peacefully."

"I don't care if she left _peacefully!" _Total yelled suddenly. "She's dead, and for what? For _you? _For the Flock? She didn't care about you! She cared about _me! _She _loved _me! Like I've loved her for so many years!"

"Total, we understand that you may be feeling slightly…" Nudge began.

"_Angry? Sad?" _he burst out. "Of course I am! The love of my _life _just _died!_"

He collapsed on the ground in a shaking heap.

_Total. _I sent the thought into his mind. _At least we have the whole flock back._

_I don't care. I just want Akila…_

_She's-_

_Dead, I know, _he replied. _But I just spent all this time thinking I was gonna see her again, but now… God, I was stupid. I knew she wasn't a mutant or anything. But I just hoped that maybe…_

_She was beautiful, and it's not the flock's fault that she died._

_I know, _he thought after a while. _But they had her for all those years, when we were…gone. And I only had her for a little time. It just seems so unfair, you know?_

_Total, she loved you. She always loved you._

He was silent, and had suddenly stopped shaking on the ground.

_You both loved each other, and it is so sad that you never got to spend so much time with her, but you've got to be happy for what time you did have. She wouldn't have wanted you to be like this._

God, I was proud of myself.

_Like what? _he shot back.

_Moping around…being so, so, so angry and sad and… not like the Total she loved._

_She really loved me?_

_Truly and dearly._

He straightened, and gave me a little smile.

_Thanks, Angel. I'm sorry..._

I smiled back at him.

_Anytime, _I thought. _Now just be happy. For now. For the flock who've missed you a heck of a lot._

_Like we missed them?_

_Yeah. Like we missed them._

**_Review, review, review!!!!!_**


	12. Phone call

_**Sorry for taking absolutely aggggeeeees for writing this, but I've been ill and in no condition to write... Honestly. This is NOT an excuse, for all of you who are thinking 'ah, whatever, this is just another excuse for not writing chapter 12...' but NO. I have been ill, but now am all (hopefully) better!!!**_

**_So...enough of my drawling, and enjoy!_**

**Phone call**

_Brriing. Brriing. Brriing. Brri-_

"Hey," came a tired voice from the other end. "Who is this?"

"Um, it's me, Louis," I said. "Angel?"

"_Angel?_" he burst out. Then he calmed down. "How are you?"

"I'm alright, you?"

"Good," he replied. "School's become really boring without you, just so you know."

I was touched. "Aw, thanks," I said. "How _is _school anyway?"

"It's alright."

I could practically see him shrugging.

"Got a new girlfriend yet?" I teased.

He chuckled quietly. "Yeah; that Miranda Lawville is showing up pretty often nowadays…"

"Really?" I asked quickly.

"Hell no," he said. "I'm still your boyfriend. If you haven't got some other guy tucked up somewhere," he added.

"Nope, I'm clean," I said. "_You're_ my boyfriend, don't worry. There is no competition at all."

"I don't know," he replied. "With you looking so beautiful all the time, I wouldn't bet on it. There're probably a million guys lining up for you right now."

I blushed. "But you'd be right at the very front of the non-existent queue," I said.

"No, I'm probably number a-million-and-one," he replied. "But I'm still pretty happy with that."

"That's-"

He cut me off suddenly. "So, where are you right now?"

"Um, like in Kentucky," I told him. "Southend park."

Beside me, Max's eyes widened. She motioned furiously to me, but I smiled.

_It's fine, _I thought. _He's my boyfriend. Well, _was _my boyfriend. He wouldn't give us away._

_But Ang-_

_It's fine, Max. Seriously._

"Kentucky?" Louis went on. "Do you live there?"

"Kind of," I lied. "My parents are split up, and I go between them, you know?"

"Oh, crap," he swore. "Sorry. I didn't know that your parents split…"

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm fine," I said. "Seriously, I don't mind."

There was a silence. Then, from the other end came a quiet "I miss you."

"I miss you too," I said.

"It's so weird that we only ever had one date," he continued. "I feel like I've known you for, like, _forever."_

"Yeah, same," I said. "I-"

"So you're in Southend park, Kentucky?" he said, interrupting me again.

I thought it over for a second, thinking his voice was a little weird, then answered. "Um, yes?"

"Cool." His voice came out sounding strangled. "Bye. I've, um, got to go now."

"Yeah, sure," I said. "'Kay, bye."

I turned to Max, and gave her a little smile.

"You never told me you had a _boyfriend!" _she said teasingly, folding her arms across her chest. "What's he like?"

"He's pretty cool," I answered, blushing. "What about you? What's up with you and-"

_Fang? _I finished, sending the thought to her.

_Angel! _she burst out.

_What? You guys are, what, twenty-four now? There must be something going on between you!_

_Aside for the occasional…romance, _she finally thought, _not really._

_What's this occasional romance? _I thought.

She was the one blushing now.

_Well, um, you know. There's kissing and… Angel! You are WAY too young to hear about any of this!_

_I'm sixteen, _I shot back. _And I'm intrigued._

_You're gross. _Her eyes narrowed. _And don't even think about 'influencing' me to tell you. Trust me, _she added, grinning. _You wouldn't want to know._

_Are you sure?_

I reached out to her mind, and, suddenly, a whole rush of pictures, sounds, feelings…came into my head, and I think I threw up the entire contents of my stomach. She was right. I really did _not _want to know.

Then I heard a scream and a muffled yell, and I snapped back into reality.

I span around to face Max, and saw that she was sprawled across the ground with a bunch of scary-looking things around her. In a flash, I recognized them, horrified.

* * *

_It had oval amber eyes embedded deep into a skull-like grey head, and a thin body with lopsided limbs hanging down from its torso, lengthened with long black claws. It even, as I saw when it span around, had a spiked tail._

* * *

They were the things that attacked us that day, ten years ago, when we had split up from the rest of the flock. Max moaned softly, and one of them took her head and pounded it against the ground. He stopped only when it was obvious that she was out cold.

Furious, I started towards them, but something grabbed me from behind. I lashed out, but more hands grappled for me, and held me tight, so I couldn't move. I felt their breath, hot and smoky, against my neck, and tried to lash out again, but they shook me so hard that I bit down on my own tongue. I tasted blood.

"Don't worry, Angel, dear," came a voice. "Your tongue's fine. It's just a little scratch; that's all."

I looked around for the source of the voice, and there, parting through some of the creatures, was a slim woman clip-clapping towards me in her five-inch stilettos. Two of the gross mutants stood behind her; standing with something between them. I gasped.

It was Louis.

"I believe you two know each other," continued the woman jovially.

I didn't even look at him. "Who are you?" I snarled. "And what do you want with us? I thought this was all sorted out _years _ago."

"No, darling," she purred. "It has never been sorted out. Maximum here tried to find us with the rest of her…_flock…_but they never found us. That was only after they escaped from confinement, of course. We took them all ten years ago, but they wouldn't cooperate." I grinned, despite myself. "Then we perceived that they had two members missing. You…and a _dog_."

"Total," I hissed. "His name is _Total."_

Her eyes gleamed, and a smile played on her lips. "But now," she carried on, seeming to ignore me completely, "we have _all _of you."

My stomach literally fell to the ground. I felt sick. So, so sick

"All of us?" I croaked. "How?"

"With a little help from-" She glanced at Louis. "-Subject twenty-seven."

"Subject twenty-seven?" I repeated, my voice barely a whisper.

Louis grinned at me, and sprung, suddenly, beside me, holding me close. For the first time, I sensed a predator in him. He grinned, showing the teeth I had kissed, then they grew longer, into pointed fangs. I was about to throw up. _Again._

"I'm sorry, Angel," he said. "You were fun while you lasted."

I struggled out of his grip, and leant closer to him.

"Newsflash, fella?" I sneered. "You were _never _fun. Or romantic, for that matter."

"I was romantic," he growled. "Romantic enough for you to kiss me, if I recall. Rather desperately, in fact."

My cheeks burned as the woman tittered with laughter.

"You. Were. Not. Romantic," I hissed. "You gave me freaking SpagBol as a leaving present!"

"A lotta girls love the SpagBol," he said in an Italian accent. Then he grinned. "Right, Angel?"

"You're a cow," I retorted.

"Now I am," he replied, grinning. "I'm dumping you."

"You are a foul, foul _jerk," _I growled. "And by the way, _Louis, _I don't think you ever knew _how _foul you are."

I morphed into an exact replica of him, except my fangs were longer, and I had scales across my back, and my feet were bent at an extraordinary angle. So I had a tendency to exaggerate a little.

"This is what you look like," I told him.

His eyes widened. "No, I don't," he choked out.

"Yes, you do," I said.

He stomped his foot, and let out a roar. "No, I do _not!"_

"Look in a mirror, vampire-boy."

He screamed in fury, and tried to slap me. I dodged, with my now-super-bendy legs.

"Enough, Subject-twenty-seven," the woman snapped. "Knock her out."

And before I lost consciousness, I managed to croon in his ear, channeling all my anger into it: "You know, I really _do _prefer the other name, vampy. Or are you too much of a mommy's boy to let her call you her ickle Subject-twenty-seven?"

* * *

"I can't believe it," I whispered to myself, when I woke up, bound, gagged and tossed in the back of a moving van.

I buried my head in my hands. "I can't freaking believe myself," I said, gritting my teeth to try not to cry. But, of course, I couldn't help myself, and the tears spilled over and began to run down my cheeks.

I never thought that I would be the type of person who would cry over a boy. A _boy._ No, not a boy. A monster. Like me.

"But he was so nice," I continued to myself. "He was so, so nice, and I thought that I had- finally- become normal with him. Just a normal girl with a normal, cute boyfriend. And then it just _had _to end, didn't it? Nothing ever goes right for people like me. For mutants like me. I always have to be on the bad end of things. Al-_freaking_-ways!" I ended, the tears blurring my sight and clogging up my mouth so the words only came out as incomprehensible burbles. I kicked the floor of the van, and felt the pain ricochet back through my knee. I did it again. It helped me to focus a little.

After a while, I calmed myself down by thinking of the top five things I could do to hurt Lou...Subject-twenty-seven. This was it:

* * *

_1) Kill him. Slowly. But without getting anything on me. Gross, no! I would NOT want any bit of that jerk on me. So I'd just get Iggy and Gazzy to blow him up or something. _

_2) Persuade him to kill himself...? Or would that fall under category number one??? No, number one is exploding him. Number two is making him commit suicide. That would be fun._

_3) Maybe killing him is too harsh. Maybe I could simply...kick his ass all the way to the next century?_

_4) _CENSORED-CENSORED-CENSORED-CENSORED-CENSORED

_5) Get his mommy to tell him she despised him. Boy, would he hate that. He might even cry. Bonus!!!_

So I may have been a little messed-up. But, in my defence, he _did _dump me. And I'm not the kind of girl that can just be dumped like that. No _freaking_ way.

**_Review??? For me? Maybe I could write chapter thirteen a lot faster if you just...review?_**

**_Thank you!!!_**

* * *


	13. Baby's Nightmare

**_I'm the worst updater in the world. No, seriously. I am. So, because I'm so sorry, I promise I'll update at least two chapters today! You have my word. (But only if you review...):P_**

**Baby's Nightmare**

The second time I woke up, it was because someone was kicking me, hard, on the head. I swore viciously, and opened my eyes. One of those gross things was staring back down at me, and I recognized the woman standing behind it. It kicked me again, and I yelled. It smirked when it finally realized that I was awake.

"Get up," the thing demanded, "or I will use any necessary means to-"

I got up. So the things could talk. Maybe that meant they could think? I proceeded to probe through its mind. Images of it drawing its fists back, then pummeling my face into the floor of the van flooded through my brain, and I tried to fight back the vomit rising up in my throat, blinking my eyes to stop the pictures coming into my head… My head jerked forwards as I threw up.

"What happened?" the woman was asking briskly, when I snapped back into reality. "You just had a seizure, or something. Threw up all over the floor, you did!"

"I hope I did," I snarled back. "I hope I messed up something of yours."

"Messed beyond repair," she agreed. "Just like your friend- what was it?- Nudge, will be soon."

She was trying to play my own game, I realized. They were going to mess Nudge up. They were going to freaking _mess her up! _What were they planning on doing? But, whatever they tried to do, I wouldn't allow it. They couldn't just expect me to sit back and let them mess her up. Livid, I hurled myself at her, limbs flailing.

The creature snapped its arms out and pulled me back, jerking me back to the floor of the van. I cried out in frustration.

"Just get me to them," I whispered. "Let me see the flock."

"I'm afraid that isn't part of our arrangement," she said. "So, no, you cannot see your beloved flock. In fact, I'm going to have to ask you to forget all about them sooner or later."

"Our _arrangement?" _I growled. "We never had an arrangement, lady."

"No, _we _never had an arrangement," she agreed. "But I'm not talking about _us._"

I tried her mind. It was blank. I could get nothing.

"And you shouldn't try listening in on my mind," she continued. "I consider it my private area, you see, and I don't welcome invasions."

"Listening in on your mind?" I shot back, trying to keep the fear and confusion out of my voice. _How did she know? _"Are you barmy?" I continued. "You on drugs, woman? What are you doing? Marijuana? Heroin? Ecstasy? You know, you really shouldn't. It's kind of bad for you."

She grabbed my shirtfront and dragged me towards her until we were at eye-level. The creature behind her stood poised, ready in a battle stance.

"No, I am not on drugs, Angel," she snarled. "But I _do _know all of your secrets, so you had better watch out."

"Are you threatening me?" I asked, then collected a massive ball of spit in the back of my mouth, and let it fly at her face. "Well, FYI? I do _not _like being threatened."

Then all too soon I was back on the floor, holding my hand to my teary, bloody face. I cursed at the woman, and she smiled icily back at me.

"And neither do I," she said. "You shouldn't make another mistake, Angel, dear. Not like what you just tried to pull off."

"Dreadfully sorry," I answered. "I didn't mean to spit in your face. It just comes out sometimes, you know? I can't control myself. It was an engineering mistake _you guys _made when you made us."

"_We _didn't make you. That was the job of the idiots at the School," she said. "But all the same, we do not accept _any _cheek from you."

They didn't make us. So that meant that these people...whoever they were...were not part of the School.

"Cheek?" I said, feigning a horror-struck expression. "No! I would never _dream _of-"

The creature slapped me around the head, and I was slammed back down onto the floor. It took me a few seconds to stir, then I glowered at the woman with as much venom as I could muster.

"And you talk to me about cheek," I said. "Funny that."

"Shut up," the creature growled.

"Don't tell me to shut up," I hissed. "It's a free world. You ever heard of it? Freedom of speech and all. It's a good system, actually, when people _use it."_

"If you don't want to get hurt again, I suggest you listen to the SEM-59," she said.

Well, _that _was some new information. Those things were called SEM-59's.

"SEM-59?" I queried innocently. "What does that stand for?"

"Subject Eraser, Model 59," she answered.

"So, like, the newest Eraser model," I said. "Number 59."

"Shut up," the Eraser told me again.

"But these ones don't have the whole turning-into-a-human thing going on," I continued. "Model, like, _three _could do that, but these can't? What kind of system is this?"

"Angel," the woman said, her lips stretched out in a taut line.

"You guys suck even worse than the whitecoats before," I said. "At least their Erasers could be _human_. They had, like, human _noses _and all."

"Angel, unless you _do _want a beating, I think you should consider being quiet," the woman said.

"So why _didn't _you use the old Erasers?" I asked.

"Well, firstly, they were all wiped out-"

"Yes, there _is_ that little difficulty," I agreed. "But-"

The Eraser pulled back a clawed hand and whacked me around the back, so I staggered back a few steps. It stepped around and swung its tail around, then remembering Total's incident ten years ago, with all that poison in those barbed endings, I dodged the tail, but fell back to the floor when it delivered a swift uppercut to my chin.

My head was ringing when I got up.

She looked a tiny bit impressed. "It can still get up after taking so many hits from SEM-5?" she said, mostly to herself.

"Lady, what about the Flyboys?" I asked, trying not to look fazed by the whole 'it' thing.

"The _what?" _she said.

"The Flyboys," I answered. "You know. The model that came after those batch of Erasers."

"They were a complete failure. Unlike the Erasers before them, they didn't think for themselves at all," she said. "They had no reflex skills."

"What about Omega?" I said, remembering the mutant that had battled Max at Itex so many years ago.

"Omega?" she said, and let out a dry laugh. "That _thing? _Oh, that was a ridiculous attempt at a mutant, but they failed miserably. It was nowhere near as developed as our SEM-59's."

I gulped. That meant we had hardly any chance fighting these newest batch of Erasers.

"Nowhere near as deve-" I began, when the Eraser punched me again.

I lay sprawled across the floor this time, feeling too pained to get up. My head and shoulder and back were burning with new pains, and the old ones were throbbing, too. Instead, I finally pulled myself up into a sitting position, then lurched into standing.

"I told you to shut up," the Eraser snarled.

I was too tired to glare at it.

"I want to get things straight with you, Angel, darling. I am the boss around here," she replied to me. "I'm known here as The Superior."

"The Superior?" I echoed. "Is that some kind of joke?"

Her eyes hardened, and the Eraser bashed my face against the floor, just like he had wanted to do before. Sure enough, I saw the satisfaction on its face as it watched me getting beat up like a weak little kid in high school. A wave of fury rushed through me again, and I snapped my wings, arms and legs out, lashing out at everyone and everything around me.

"Code H, Code H," the woman- The Superior- was suddenly shrieking down an earpiece. "For Christ's sake, _Code H!"_

The Eraser put up a good fight, but in my anger, all it took were a few well-timed kicks and punches to knock it out completely. I stood for a moment, chest heaving, glaring at The Superior, and then fell backwards off the van, moving my wings at the last moment to cushion my fall and propel me up into the air.

"So long, suckers!" I yelled, then, with my raptor's vision, I saw she smiled a little smile. In that instant, I felt my stomach drop. It was hopeless. They were ready for this.

I heard the dart being fired, but didn't see it.

There was a whistle as it was fired from a rifle somewhere, then it was embedded in my shoulder. I stared stupidly at it before all my senses began to dull, and my eyes blurred over.

"What the hell?" I slurred as my wings tired, and I plummeted towards the ground, where two dozen Erasers were waiting, smiling the same smile as The Superior.

Honestly. I was getting seriously sick of this whole wings-tiring-then-falling-to-my-death thing. This was what, the third time? And then as my eyes closed, a thought sprung up in my mind.

What if The Superior had something to do with it?

* * *

_Floating in darkness, I feel around for my surroundings. Soft walls are there that spring back as I pull my fingers away. I push again, harder, and this time I hear something. I feel my heart jolt inside of me. I push again, and listen carefully._

_There!_

_A small gasp of delight, and in the background, another noise- a steady sort of thrumming, going badoom-badoom-badoom. It's nice and comforting, and I curl myself up into a ball, just listening to that sound._

_Badoom-badoom-badoom._

_Then I feel fear. A whole rush of fear, tumbling through me; and it overwhelms me. I prod the walls for some reassurance, but there is no reply. I close my eyes even firmer together, then I hear a thud, and one side of the wall has caved in on one side, pushing me away, then it springs back, and I'm back, too. Then I hear something which makes me angry and sad._

_A quiet whimper, and a scream._

_I feel a shudder go through the walls around me, and then it passes through me. I feel pain. Another whimper, and this time I feel the walls moving upwards, and I am going up as well. Then the walls move, and I realize I am in some kind of jelly- a fluid, like. It cushions me as the walls move quicker, but I feel sick in the deepest pits of my stomach. Something sharp pierces through someone, somewhere, and I hear a shriek and feel the pain ebbing through me. I try to scream, but I cannot. I don't know why._

_The walls stop moving; they come to a jerky stop, and I fall back into my jelly, unmoving. I hear the thrumming again- badoom-badoom-badoom- and it echoes the sound of my own heart, beating slower. That's funny, since they usually beat at the same rate. But, as time passes, the other thrumming slows down, and our beatings match once again._

_I hear voices then, for the first time, and for an instant I am happy about this, but then I feel the fear again._

"_Get that thing up," something snaps. "Get it moving. We want to see the effects of stress and work on a pregnant number."_

"_Does The Superior want the offspring alive?" comes another voice._

"_Depends if it stays alive," chuckles the first voice, and I feel a chill pass through me._

"_We will stay alive."_

_This third voice makes me feel better. It soothes me, but at the same time it troubles me, because it has a tone of fury in it. Melancholy and tiredness, too. But mostly, it is filled with pain._

"_You will stay alive?" comes the first voice, sniggering. "Are you sure about that, freak?"_

"_We will stay alive," my beautiful voice repeats. "And you will all die."_

"_Injection-time!" croons the first voice again._

_The beautiful voice is no more. I feel pain again, and hear a gritting of teeth._

"_Now shove it back in its cage, where it belongs," comes the first voice._

_I feel the walls moving around me again, and I am jolted around in my jelly. Pain is here again. And fear. I hate them so much._

"_Get a good night- no, a good ten minutes'_ _rest- before we fetch you again," taunts the second voice. "Sayonara, freak."_

"_Ciao," shoots back my beautiful voice. "Take care! Or don't. Go break your neck, or something. That would make me feel a heck of a lot better."_

_I don't like this new feeling. Loneliness. It feels worse than hate and fear. Loneliness feels like nothing. Like you're in a deep black void, just waiting for eternity to end. Funny. It feels a whole lot like my situation. Except I have my beautiful voice to get me through this._

_I prod the walls, wishing for a small sound of reply._

_I am successful._

"_Shh," comes my beautiful voice, and I feel a soft pressure on one side of the walls, making me feel warmer. "Shh, baby. We're not gonna die here, don't worry. It takes more than what they're doing to kill us. We're fine. It's just you and me in this together, always. You and mummy. You and Nudge. We're in this together, always remember that. Despite what the flock says, you can bet on me to get you through this. And Iggy. Iggy will stand by us forever, because he loves us. Just like I love you, my baby."_

_And then, in that deep black void, my eyes snap open, and my beautiful voice and the surroundings all spin away in a whirl of color and sounds._

* * *

"Oh, man," I breathed when I woke up, breathing heavily. "My beautiful voice was Nudge. I had a dream inside Nudge's freaking _womb! _My dream was the baby's reality…"

Flashes of the dream came back to me: the loneliness, the sadness, the anger, the pain… The _pain. _Nudge and her baby were going through that pain right now. I remembered how the baby- _I-_ felt. Any more of that treatment and it would die, leaving Nudge to have a miscarriage. _No_. That wouldn't happen.

_But what had she said about the flock?_ I recollected. "_Despite what the flock says, you can bet on me to get you through this. And Iggy. Iggy will stand by us forever, because he loves us. Just like I love you, my baby."_

Then I suddenly understood, and felt like throwing up the empty contents of my stomach again. Iggy loved her and the baby. It was _Iggy. _Iggy, my big brother, and Nudge, my big sister, had a baby. Iggy was the father, just like Total had suggested. That was _way _too gross to think about.

Ew.

* * *

**_So you finally know who the father is, after all that waiting! Iggy._**

**_IGGY!_**

**_Come on. I bet you amazing reviewers have something to say about that. You can't be speechless?! (Or, in this case, review-less...)_**

**_One review from each reader, and I'll get chapter 14 up by this afternoon. I PROMISE!!!_**

**_Please?_**


	14. The Electricity Room

**_Now, as I have promised, chapter 14... Read on!_**

**The Electricity Room**

I peered at the walls around me through the cracks in my eyelids. I saw white, sterile walls. Not the soft pink ones from my dream. I let out a relieved sigh, and let my eyelids finally flutter open. I had absolutely no desire to be back in Nudge's womb.

"It's awake!" yelled someone, and I felt that same someone stab a needle in my arm.

The pain was intense at first, and I bit my lip so hard that it bled, but then it gradually faded away to more of a gentle throb. The grey arms of Erasers grabbed me from all sides and they bundled me into a machine. It wasn't the first time I had been in a machine, but all the same I felt terrified, and began screaming and pummeling the glass with my fists. But I was drugged, so the only results I could produce were murmurs and faint tappings against the glass.

"Three, two, one," came a scratchy voice over a speaker. "Now _out!"_

From all around me I felt the air pressure drop suddenly, and I was sucked down the machine, down a long glass tube, until I fell, facedown, in a room with thick glass-paneled walls. I stood up shakily, feeling myself for any bruises, then looked around.

Someone familiar at one of the windows raised a hand in greeting.

"Hello, Angel," said The Superior. "This is just a little experiment; don't be frightened, dear."

_I am not frightened! _I thought, but it came out as "Ayeenorfwainnened."

She raised an eyebrow, and gestured towards a man in a white coat standing next to her. Instantly, all my nerves were on high-alert. Well, as high-alert as someone who had been so badly drugged as I had could be. I tried to look fearsome, when hordes of Erasers poured into the room, followed by the whitecoat, who raised another injection to my arm, and jabbed it in. As soon as it was done, he sprinted out, followed by the Erasers.

I grinned. Feelings were coming back to me. All my senses were super-sharp now, thanks to whatever they just gave me.

My first thought was to escape out of the tube I came down, but then I remembered it led to a machine, and the tube had closed up anyway. Then The Superior's voice came, loud and clear, through the speaker.

"Angel, we just want to see you perform some of your…skills," she said. "The rest of the flock have all participated."

I snorted. No way could Max have subjected to this.

"You're lying!" I yelled back at her.

She smiled, mouthed _no_, and pressed a button which sent a shock wave jolting through the room. And through me. I screamed, shuddered, then fell to the floor, still trembling as remains of the electricity sparked through my body, singeing the tips of my wings and hair.

"What the hell was that?" I whispered.

Now I finally understood how Max had succumbed to these people. These cruel, heartless, merciless people.

The Superior's voice came over the speaker again.

"That, my dear Angel, was 450 volts of electricity," she said. "Painful, isn't it? That's about over double of what you would feel when you stick your fingers into a power socket."

I shot her daggers, and, with quivering legs, stood up.

"It'll take more than _electricity _to beat us," I snarled. "We're stronger than you think, lady."

"You human/avian hybrids maybe, but the mutant puppy?" she snickered, and shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Total?" I breathed, feeling as if the floor had just opened up and swallowed me alive. If it hadn't, though, I wish it would. "You put _Total _through this?"

The Superior smiled again- that smile she smiled whenever she had something up her sleeve- and curiosity overcame me, so I probed her mind. That same mind that was blank when I tried it before. But, an instant later, a surge of thoughts swelled up in my head. They were images. Just flashes of images, like you would see when you were flipping through an old photo album.

My eyes glazed over. There were pictures of a small black dog quaking on the same floor I was standing on now, jerking around and shuddering, as tremor after tremor of electricity was sent jolting across the room. I saw a flash of his face. It was empty; his eyes were dark and pained, his mouth was dripping with saliva as he gave in to the torture- he looked just like a rabid dog.

I screamed for the pictures to stop, but they just came stronger and more graphic- image after image of Total in the room…

"P-please…s-stop…" I sobbed. "I…P-please just …_s-stop…"_

The images came to a halt, ending on a faraway picture of a dog lying motionless on the floor. A smile played on The Superior's face.

"Can we get back to business, then?" she asked.

"Never," I snarled. "I will _never _do anything for-"

Another wave of electricity sparked through the room, and I suppressed a shriek, collapsing in a shaking heap on the floor.

"Angel, if you do not cooperate…" The Superior warned.

She closed her eyes, and images came into my head again. She was thinking extremely hard to project these so far, but I suspect it was because they had some relevance to me that I picked up on them. I tried to shut them off, honestly I did, but the flood of images gushed into my mind, as if there were no barrier at all, and I was forced to watch them again. But this time there was more. There was _sound. _

The images and sounds of a yelping Total faded away and new images came.

I saw a dark head of hair, and dark eyes. _Fang. _I saw his gritted teeth, and the pain flash across his eyes as the electricity coursed through him, and he was thrown back across the room with a sickening thud. They must have given him a higher voltage. The electricity came again, and again, but he was silent. Blood was trickling down his face, but he still hadn't said a word. Then, finally, I saw an even more increased voltage shoot through the room; saw him shudder, fly across the room, crash into the glass wall; then I heard him cry out. I heard _Fang _cry out. I heard_ him_ scream.

I forced myself to start singing, just to drown out the sounds of Fang, my strongest brother, yelling in the background.

"_La__, la, la," _I hummed. _"La, la, la."_

"What's going on?" I heard The Superior ask worriedly.

"It's…singing," said one of the Erasers. "Shall I terminate it?"

"No," she replied, then put the speakers onto full volume. "Angel!" she called out. "We have seen your powers to read the human mind to a certain extent. Now I am thinking of a number. Tell me what number it is and you shall be one step closer to your release."

"No," I spat.

Electricity coursed through the room again, and I was thrown to my knees. I winced as I saw that the layers of my skin had been torn off, and was stuck, bloody, to the floor. I wiped the blood away with my hands, and looked back up at The Superior. She looked back, almost boredly.

"I'm still thinking of it," she said. "Hurry up, dear, or we'll have to increase the voltage."

Was I brave enough to withstand an increased voltage? Moreover, was I _strong _enough to?

_1765._

"One thousand, seven hundred and sixty-five," I finally muttered. "Now let me free."

One of the whitecoats, looking delighted, wrote down what I had said. The Superior nodded, and he scribbled some more. The Superior glanced at me, caught my eye, and smiled again.

_That smile…_

"Now we would like to observe your morphing skills," she carried on. "I would like you to morph into an image of myself."

Her hand swayed dangerously towards the INCREASE VOLTAGE button, so I pictured something in my head. A moment later, I morphed into a cow, with spots and all. The Superior looked furious, bud ordered the whitecoat to write something down.

"Now we have been told you can 'influence' things, Angel," she said, trying to appear unruffled by the cow she saw before her. "So, first, we will have you influence an SEM-59 to kill itself. It will be released inside the room with orders to be…vicious, so I am afraid that it is either you or it. May the best mutant win."

I braced myself. A fight? This was turning increasingly similar to the situation at Itex between Max and Omega. The Eraser slipped into the room through one of the glass doors, and eyed me up and down; sizing its prey, I presumed.

"Bring it," I hissed.

"Ready, freak?" it growled. "To the death."

"To _your_ death," I corrected. "I'm not going anywhere."

At first we prowled around each other, just looking over one another. That lasted for about five seconds. Before I knew it, the Eraser sprung gracefully, rapidly, forwards, landing beside me. It opened its jaws wide, and brought them clashing together, down where the space where my head had just been was. I dodged its next attack, leaping softly from foot to foot as it lashed out, and occasionally used the tips of my feathers to hold me out in the air just a second longer.

Then The Superior decided to make things more 'interesting'. An increased voltage of electricity buzzed through the room, and a spasm of pain shot through me. The Eraser looked dazed, but shook itself back into reality. One thought pulsed through its mind..._I will finish this._

I was still convulsing on the floor, shuddering as stray flickers of electricity swelled through me. The Eraser leapt high above me, then aimed its clawed hands at my face as it fell down.

_Stop! _I thought, trying to concentrate as the electricity wavered in my mind for a second. _Go kill yourself. Go kill The Superior._

_Go and kill…_it thought blankly. _Myself? The Superior?_

_Go now. Go and kill whatever you can manage to kill in a whitecoat, an Eraser, the Superior, you…Go and do it NOW._

"I'm going to go kill myself and The Superior," it mumbled at me, dragging its claws away from me, and bounding away. It made for the door, when I suddenly came up with a plan. A _better _one.

_Come back! _I thought fiercely. _Pretend to kill me!_

It was beside me in an instant, drew back a fist, and delivered an uppercut to the space next to my chin. I threw myself backwards and collided with the wall, shutting my eyes as if I'd blacked out. Or, even better, had been killed.

_Now go and cause havoc, _I ordered. _Kill as many Erasers as you can. And kill The Superior._

It darted towards the doorway, and it slid open. Immediately, the Eraser bellowed something incomprehensible at the top of its voice, then rushed towards The Superior with bloodlust in its eyes. She hardly even batted an eyelash.

A crowd of Erasers swarmed around it, and I heard a squeal of pain from where I lay. I winced, then remembered that it was the thing who had just tried to kill me. Well, _that _made me feel kind of better, at least.

As The Superior, the whitecoats and the Erasers were busy with the ruckus I had caused, I leapt up and flitted across to the open door. I had a bit of time. The Superior and the whitecoats all thought I was dead. All of their attention was focused on the Eraser.

Then I ran like hell, aware of the sudden rising of voices behind me.

So they had noticed.

_Nudge, _I was thinking. _Total; Max; Fang; Gazzy; Iggy; the unborn baby… If you're not dead…yet, I promise to save you all._

* * *

**_So...there it was. Chapter 14._**

**_Chapter 15 (and possibly 16) might be up tomorrow...but I'm going to have to wait for a few reviews before I post them... :) - I'm evil that way. xxx lol_**


	15. Exposure

**Exposure**

As I ran, I kept my mind open, trying to intercept any familiar thoughts. I blinked away tears, and tried to concentrate. Then, suddenly, my trainers screeched to a halt, and I shut my eyes, not knowing if I _had _heard what I had just thought I heard, or was simply imagining it. It wouldn't be the first time.

_Where the heck is everyone? Where did these crazy people put my freaking flock? Nudge? Ig? The Gasman? Max? Total? Angel?_

It was Fang. So I wasn't delusional.

_For God's sake, those stupid Erasers are-_

_Fang, _I thought. _It's me. Angel._

His mind went blank, then, just when I thought I'd lost him, I turned a sharp corner and collided straight into him. He staggered back a couple of steps, looking surprised beyond belief, then rushed over and hugged me. My jaw dropped open. This was _Fang. _Fang never rushed over to people and hugged them. Jeez, what had the world come to?

_Fang, _I thought. _We've got to get everyone out of here._

_Yeah,_ he replied. Then, _how did you escape?_

_Oh, they asked me to 'influence' an Eraser to kill itself, but I just got it to cause chaos. It was in the…electricity room._

I remembered the images and sounds I'd seen of Fang in the room, and tears pricked at my eyes. I hugged him harder.

_Are you okay? _I asked him. _They showed me pictures of you in there…_

He froze.

_I'm fine, _he thought finally. _Don't worry about me._

_I think Total's dead, _I suddenly thought. _They kind of hinted that he was…_

_Total's not dead, _Fang answered stubbornly. _No-one's dead. Except a few Erasers._

_Typical. How many did you kill? _I asked him. _I hope it's a big number._

_Oh, just about ten, _he thought. _They were getting on my nerves. I guess they got annoyed, too; especially when I disappeared in front of them…_

I looked at him, cutting him off.

_We need to find the flock, _I thought. _Come on. They could be anywhere._

Then, with that last thought, we started sprinting down a third path that both of us hadn't been down yet. I glanced over at him, and saw that his jaw was taut, his eyes dark with fury and determination, his fists clenched at his sides as he ran. Then I saw the ugly gashes across his arms.

_Fang! _I burst out. _What did they DO to you? How did you get those…cuts?_

_Let's just focus on finding the flock, Angel, _he replied stiffly.

_But-_

_Angel, I'm okay, _he thought. _And about what you saw in that room…_

_Fang, it looked really bad. _

His screams and the images of him ricocheting off the glass walls echoed through my mind, and, all of a sudden, Fang stiffened. Had he seen them? Had I accidentally leaked my memories into his mind?

_I can't believe they showed you that, _he thought.

_I'm sorry, Fang. It shouldn't have happened. These people are stark-raving mad. Which is why we have to stop all this._

_Agreed, _he thought. _Are we gonna kick some ass around here._

_Mmm, those hairy Eraser asses had better watch out, _I thought. _And some whitecoat ones, too-_

I heard a scream, and stopped, mid-thought. Then another scream. And a whimper. I focused my mind.

_My beautiful voice is screaming. Pain is here again, and fear. They are rushing through me, wave upon wave. My beautiful voice screams again, and the background sounds of badoom-badoom-badoom are getting faster and louder…_

Oh, crap. Crappity, crappity, _crap. _This was bad. Really, really- like, beyond all expectations- bad. But then again, these people were merciless. They'd do anything for a bit of information.

_There is more screaming. My beautiful voice has risen pitches higher. We are in pain. So much pain..._

"What is it, Angel?" Fang was hissing, shaking me furiously. "We need to keep running, to find the flock."

"I heard Nudge's baby," I explained carefully, quietly. "Nudge and her child are around here somewhere."

He looked at me blankly.

"You heard Nudge's _baby?_" His voice came out sounding strangled. "As in, the _guy-chick?"_

"Um, yes," I said, tugging at his arm. "Now come on."

"She's, like, a couple of months pregnant, and you can _hear _its thoughts?" he continued. "It _thinks?"_

"Yup, and right now, because you are holding us both up, Nudge and her child are in pain," I said. "So, come _on."_

The moment he heard that Nudge was in pain, he seemed to get over- though not completely- the fact that Nudge's guy-chick could think, andstarted running again. Then I heard Nudge cry out again, and, after glancing over at Fang, realized that he had, too.

"Those freaking whitecoats," he growled, "are _so _dead."

We rushed to the door where Nudge's cries seemed to be coming from, and Fang was about to barrel into it, when I showed him the handle.

"There are usually _door handles _on doors, Fang," I explained slowly to him. "And look, we _turn _it and voila! It opens."

He shrugged and blushed. "I thought it was locked," he mumbled.

And then we both looked up to see three whitecoats and about five Erasers glaring back at us, and Nudge, lying, covered in sweat and blood, across a table. Like, an _operating _table.

"Nudge!" we both yelled, and rushed forwards.

I saw Fang grab an Eraser and throw it across the room, flailing and screaming, until it hit a wall and lay still. Two Erasers were coming at me, and I ducked as one tried to make a grab for me. Instead, its fist ended up clashing with the other Eraser's face. It screeched in pain, bringing its hands up to its bleeding face. Then I sprung up and snapped my leg out to kick the one who had tried to pull a fast one on me, then let rip with as many punches as I could, directing each sharp blow at its face.

Except I had forgotten the other one.

It had me on the floor in seconds, slamming itself hard onto me, and knocking the breath clean out of my lungs. Blood was oozing out of its wound and dripping, warm and thick, down onto my face. I gagged, trying to stop myself from throwing up. Then it grinned, showing pointed fangs, and tried to drive a clawed hand into my throat. I shut my eyes. I couldn't influence it anymore. It was too late. I could already see its arm coming down…

Then, suddenly, the weight of the Eraser was gone, and Fang was standing there, breathing heavily.

I looked around. All of the Erasers and whitecoats were on the floor, motionless. I looked back at Fang and suddenly saw him in a completely different light.

"Shoot, Fang," I breathed. "You got them all…"

He just shrugged.

"Guys…"

We both spun around when we heard Nudge speak. She was looking at us out of half-closed eyelids, and her jaw was set at a strange angle. Blood trickled out of her mouth.

"Hey, guys," Nudge whispered again. "I'm so glad to see you…"

I rushed over to her, Fang at my side, and hugged her softly. Then I ran my hands down to her stomach, where I left them. I felt something move against my fingertips, and smiled, despite the circumstances. The baby was still alive, at least. I looked up, to see Fang looking at me with the weirdest expression.

"Nudge, are you okay?" I asked, ignoring him. "What did they do to you?"

"A few injections," she mumbled. "I can't really remember, but it was painful…" She stared at me, her brown eyes shining. "Thank you for coming. Thank you for killing all those Erasers and whitecoats."

I glanced around me, suddenly anxious. Were the Erasers and whitecoats _dead? _No. They were just unconscious. Right?

"Nudge, we've got to get you out of here before other people come," I said. "Can you walk?"

She nodded. "I can try."

Fang and I stood on either side of her as she stood up on shaky legs. Once up, she took one trembling step forwards; then another, then another, until she was running, like we were, her hands clamped possessively around her stomach. Whatever the flock said, I suddenly knew that I was _so_ not killing that guy-chick. I said what I was thinking out loud:

"Fang, you guys can't kill the baby."

He looked at me like I was crazy.

"And you tell me this while we're running for our freaking lives, why?" he answered incredulously. "Besides, we're getting rid of that thing."

Nudge burst out into tears. "You can't," she sobbed. "It's my…my baby…"

"Now you see what you've done?" I said. "You've made Nudge _cry_."

Fang rolled his eyes. "It's just hormones."

"Well, whatever you say, _I'm _against killing the baby," I told him, panting slightly from all the running. "The guy-chick deserves to live."

"Are you saying this because of what you heard?" Fang demanded.

"What did you hear?" Nudge spluttered. "Angel, what did you hear?"

I silently wanted to kill Fang.

"I heard your baby's thoughts," I finally said. "It can, you know, _think."_

"You can?" Nudge gasped, and she started crying even more. "You heard my baby…_my _baby…thinking. What…?"

"What was it thinking?" I finished. "It thinks you have a beautiful voice, for one."

"A beautiful voice?" she wailed. "My baby…Oh, my baby…"

_You see, _I thought at Fang. _This is why you can't kill it. She loves the guy-chick way too much. _

_Which is why it needs to go, _Fang replied. _Come on, Angel. Do YOU want a crying, shitting baby around? How does that help our stay-incognito lifestyle?_

_Stay-incognito? _I shot back. _Well, excuse-me but aren't YOU the one posting our whole life stories out on the internet? How is THAT freaking incognito?_

_Whatever, _Fang thought. _The guy-chick has to go._

_It has feelings, _I thought._ You can't kill something with feelings._

_Did you not see me kill-slash-knock out a whole room of Erasers and whitecoats back there? _Fang wanted to know. _Angel, don't argue with me. The baby is going._

I went for more mushiness. Maybe Fang would go for mushiness. I doubted it, so, just to be extra careful, I tried the puppy-dog-eyes. Except I was sixteen now, and we were sprinting along, so I don't think they worked. Well, whatever.

_Fang. _I began. _People love this child. By killing the child, you would kill a part of them, too._

_Spare me the cheese, _he thought.

_I'm not talking freaking cheese! _I burst out. _I'm just saying-_

_Stilton, I'm thinking, _he went on. _Maybe cheddar._

_People love this child, _I repeated. _They LOVE the child._

_Yeah? _Fang asked. _Like who?_

_Nudge does, _I thought. _I do. And, oh yeah, IGGY does._

There was silence. Awkward freaking _silence._ What the heck had I just done?

_Iggy? _Fang asked, sounding kind of weird. _IGGY loves Nudge's unborn kid?_

I couldn't help myself. The last seconds of my dream flashed through my mind. And through Fang's.

* * *

"_Despite what the flock says, you can bet on me to get you through this. And Iggy. Iggy will stand by us forever, because he loves us. Just like I love you, my baby."_

* * *

_Oh. My. God. _Fang thought. _Iggy? IGGY is the father? I could honestly kill somebody right now._

He glared at the still-bawling Nudge, who had no idea what we were talking about.

_Don't say anything! _I thought to him, at the same time as he said to Nudge, "So, _Iggy's _the father, huh?"

Not for the first time that day, I wanted to kill him.

"I-Iggy?" Nudge stammered, all her tears suddenly forgotten. "How…Why do you think _Iggy _is the father of my child?"

I shut my eyes. If there was a God, both Fang and Nudge would not be looking at me right now. I opened them.

They were looking at me. Of course. Mutant mind-readers never had any luck, did they?

"Angel…" Nudge breathed. "You're a mind-reader."

Well, what else could I have said in that situation? I'm not one really that well known for my witticisms. Max, maybe, but _me? _Nuh-uh. I prefer not-awkward situations where I can actually think of something relatively okay to say. Except these days, I've been having a lot of these awkward moments. So I, being the world's non-wittiest person, just looked back at her, still running, and said something that I regretted _so _much afterwards.

"No duh," I said sheepishly.

* * *

**_So..._**

**_We find out that Angel's REALLY bad at comebacks._**

**_Fang finds out that Iggy is the father of Nudge's guy-chick._**

**_Nudge finds out that Fang and Angel have found out about her and Iggy._**

**_...all adds up to a whole lotta tension, doesn't it?_**

**_Oh, and another thing. Some people have been asking me to do a chapter with, say, Fang's or Iggy's point of view. Should I do some other flock members' POVs? Review and tell me! (Also, I'm trying to think of a name for the guy-chick. Any ideas??????????????)_**


	16. Thunderclouds

**_Just so everyone's clear, this starts where the last chapter ended, with Nudge, Fang and Angel running down a corridor, trying to find the flock and trying, at the same time, to get away from The Superior, the Erasers and the whitecoats. Great. Now that we've got THAT all sorted, here's chappie number 16..._**

**Thunderclouds**

We continued running in silence, until an alarm went off, dangerously close to us. I was suddenly aware of running footsteps coming closer and closer, and glanced at Fang and Nudge for the first time since…the incident.

"They're down there!" yelled The Superior, appearing around a corner, some fifteen meters behind us. There were a whole crowd of Erasers running after her. They began to pick up pace as they saw us.

"Up and away?" I suggested, looking up at the ceiling, which was made of glass, like everything else in this building. It wouldn't take long to break through.

"But what about Max and the flock?" Fang said.

"We can come back for them," I said quickly. "Or we can forget that, not go anywhere, get caught, and get stuffed back into glass cages."

"Up and away," Fang agreed. "Nudge, you alright with that?"

She looked a bit green, but nodded.

"U and A. On three," I said. "One, two_, three_!"

We snapped our wings out and flew up to the top of the corridor, pummelling our fists against the glass. Fang got through, and part of the glass shattered, falling down below. I looked down, and took a sharp intake of breath. The Erasers were unfolding small bat-like wings from their backs. I remembered that we were in the air that day ten years ago when they attacked us. So that meant they could fly.

"Hurry, Fang!" I shrieked. "They're coming up!"

Fang bashed the glass harder, and this time, he broke through a whole sheet of glass, which sent pretty much all of the ceiling collapsing down onto the Erasers. We flew out of the damage, and as fast as we could, hurried away from the building. I glanced back.

There were Erasers flying behind us. Some of them had evidently gotten out of the debris.

"Guys, faster!" I yelled. "_Erasers!"_

"I don't know if I can," Nudge mumbled, holding her stomach. "I feel…so sick."

Fang and I flew to either side of her and kept her steady. I glanced backwards again, and saw, in horror, that there were about fifteen Erasers, who now looked closer than ever. Fifteen against three, and one of the three was pregnant and couldn't fight. Yeah. We were _so _going to win. But then again, Fang had said he had knocked out (or killed) ten Erasers on his own, so that left five for me. _Perfect. _Now all we had to do was-

"_Angel!" _yelled Fang. "Duck!"

A long, spiked tail came swishing over my head as I ducked. The Erasers were here.

"Nudge, get out of here!" I screamed at her. "Fly away and hide! We'll see you later!" She looked like she was about to protest. "Nudge, do you _want _your baby to get killed?"

That got her out of there pretty quick.

A couple of Erasers tried to follow her, but Fang launched some deadly kicks towards the back of their necks, and an instant later, the Erasers were four short.

One came hurtling towards me, and I looked it dead in the eye.

_You cannot fly, _I told it. _Now, close your eyes and fall._

It shut its eyes, and went plummeting down below. I looked up and smiled innocently at Fang, who was staring at me with an incredulous expression.

"What?" I said, and did a 360. There were only seven Erasers left. The other eight were…well…I glanced down below.

"Heee-yah!" I cried out, crashing onto one. "Take this, you furry, gross monster! And _this!" _

I whacked it again and again, until it shut its amber eyes, muttered something incomprehensible, and went to join its dead friends. I spun around to see another one rushing at me, and smiled innocently. Angelically.

_Erasers are bad, _I thought, looking at the remaining four. _Kill all the Erasers here. Then kill yourselves._

Fang was staring at the Erasers in astonishment, as they began fighting amongst themselves. One by one, they dropped down below, until at last, only one was left. It glanced down at its falling friends, before slitting its throat with a claw, and plummeted.

"Angel," Fang said, in a weird voice. "That was…"

I grinned. "Exciting?" I offered. "Spine-tingling?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of _scary," _he said. "What did you _do _to them?"

"Only a little influencing," I told him. "Don't worry about it."

"'Kay," he said finally. Then he tried to change the subject. "Let's go find Nudge."

We flew for a while, in big circles, when Fang finally spotted her on- get this- a cliff face. I let out a relieved sigh as I saw her, unharmed, and we made a beeline for the cave. It was a bit like the cave Total and I stayed in, but, still, a different one. I guessed there were a few around…thankfully for us. I imagined staying in a tree to rest for a while, then shuddered. The Erasers would easily get us there.

"We should stay the night here," Fang said, when we finally landed, "and then figure out what we're going to do about the rest of the flock tomorrow."

"Hold up, hold up," I said. "Stay the night? But Max and the others are-"

"I know," he snapped, shooting me a glare. "Spare me the details. But we need all the rest we can get." Here, he looked pointedly at Nudge, who had collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily. "Okay? Then we can go back to that…_hellhole _first thing tomorrow."

"Fine," I said grudgingly. "But only because-"

"We get it," Fang interrupted. "Now shut up and get some sleep."

I was about to point out that it was still light, when I realized the sky was getting darker. It must've been later than I thought. So I lay down next to Fang and Nudge, and shut my eyes.

_What about watch? _I thought at Fang suddenly. _What if the Erasers come at night and-_

Fang got up groggily. _I'll stay on watch. You get some sleep._

I looked at him, and saw how tired he looked.

_Don't worry about it, _I thought. _It's fine. You go to sleep, and I'll keep watch. I'm not that tired. _

_Ang- _he began anxiously. Yes. Fang was _anxious. _It freaked me out completely, too.

_Seriously, _I thought, still slightly taken aback by Fang's anxiousness._ Just go to sleep before I change my mind._

He smiled at me gratefully- something that took me completely by surprise. _Again_- and lay down. I sat up. Within moments, it seemed, Nudge and Fang were sound asleep, and I was the only one awake.

It was freaking boring being on watch. I can't even begin to describe _how _boring it was. It's like sitting, by yourself, as the seconds tick by like hours, waiting for something to happen. I looked down at my watch about every three seconds, getting more and more frustrated. How the heck could time pass so slowly? I mean, I'd heard about the whole time-passes-quickly-when-you're-having-fun thing, but I figured that was just stupid. I had always thought, _How could time pass quicker when you were having fun?_ It's not like it actually _did. _It wasn't _possible. _But, as I sat, waiting for…whatever I was waiting for, time seemed to literally slow down. And I found myself believing, for the first time, the person who had thought up that phrase. Like the freak I was.

Then I heard the _boom._

That's what it sounded like. A massive, rumbling explosion.

I leapt to my feet and bolted to the entrance of the cliff face. My wings were already out, and I was tense, ready for anything to come at me-

_BOOM._

I started. That scared the crap out of me. I wondered whether I should call Fa-

_BOOM._

This time, a few seconds later (according to my watch, anyway), the sky was lit up by a white flash. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was. _Lightning. _This was a thunderstorm.

I was pathetic. I had freaked out _that much_ over a tiny little storm. I took one step back as another flash came, blinding me for a moment. And I started counting in my head, like you were supposed to do.

One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi.

_BOOM._

The storm was just three miles away.

I glanced over at both Nudge and Fang, who still seemed to be sleeping. Then I looked back up at the sky, which had now turned an ugly grey colour, and saw lightning fork down from a huge cloud that looked the colour of a painful, swollen bruise.

It _forked. _Like, um…Harry Potter's scar, or something. It just _zigzagged _down from the sky. And here's another thing. The lightning bolt (which is what I assumed it was) was _violet. _As in, bright, bright purple.

I felt my stomach churn. My human/avian sixth-sense was telling me that something was _really _not right. And my human/avian sixth sense? Well, it had never been wrong before.

I rushed over to Fang and Nudge, yelling, "Get up, you guys! Get _up!"_

Nudge stirred, blinked, and stared at me.

"What is it, Angel?" she asked sleepily. "You look kind of…nervous."

Now _that _was the understatement of the century.

"Why d'you wake us up?" Fang complained. "I was getting some quality sleep there. Are there Erasers or something?"

"No," I said. "But-"

"Are the flock here?" Nudge asked hopefully. "Or…that scary lady?"

"No to both," I said. "But-"

"Has someone found us?" Fang said.

"No," I repeated, getting a little annoyed. "But-"

"Then _what?" _they both interrupted, glaring at me.

Behind me, lightning flashed again.

One Mississippi.

_BOOM._

"There's a thunderstorm," I explained quickly. "And it's only a mile away. We need to get out of here, because it's really dangerous and-"

I broke off at the looks on their faces. Nudge was looking like she couldn't believe what she was hearing; Fang just looked bemused. And a little irritated.

"You woke us up because of a storm?" he said, incredulous. "When I asked you to stay on watch, I thought you'd wake us up when _Erasers _came or something. Not because of a tiny storm."

"It's not tiny," I retorted lamely, and turned around. "Look."

Then, as if on cue, lightning flashed and forked down, at the same time as the thunder rumbled. Loudly.

_At the same time, _I suddenly realized._ Oh, God._

"That sure wasn't my stomach," Fang commented drily. "So, 'kay, it might be a bit bigger than we thought, but we can-"

"A bit bigger?" I echoed, sounding strangled. "The storm is _right over us!"_

* * *

**_I really wish you could get music on this thing. Then everyone could hear what I'm hearing- scary music. You know the kind. Take the music from Jaws. Da-da. Da-da. Dadadadadadada... Or maybe a classic Dum-dum-DUMMMMM! Well, whatever. You get what I'm saying. God, I love music._**

**_So:_**

**_Da-da. Da-da. Dadadadadadadadada...._**

**_REVIEW!!!!_**

**_Thanks! xxx Love you all!_**


	17. Left Behind

**_So...everyone was asking for some other POVs, so here they are._**

**Left Behind**

**Iggy POV**

I closed my eyes, leaning my forehead against my hands. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe they were putting _her _through all of this. Nudge was pregnant. She was carrying our baby. And they had captured her, too.

That woman had come into the room, yesterday, and I heard her approach my cage. She stopped a good few feet away, though, and stayed there, so I couldn't touch her, even if I stretched my arm _way _out and flailed about for her. But she knew I was blind. She _loved _the fact that I was blind. It meant that she stayed anonymous when she was with me.

So she thought.

I had grabbed her hair once. It was a peroxide blonde. Dyed, obviously. Her eyes were dark brown, when I stabbed a finger into them. The room- as well as her coat- was white, too, so I could see them, as well as other vague black shapes.

I remembered our conversation in full detail. It had been running through my head for…for a long time. Probably the whole day.

* * *

"_Hello, retard," she had said._

_My hands had curled into fists. Just 'cause I was blind, she always called me a freaking retard. Sometimes she told me jokes. Her favourite was the one about a blind guy at a bar. She'd told it to me enough times that I now knew it off by heart. Unfortunately._

"_Hello yourself, bimbo," I had snapped back._

"_You know, I just heard something," she sneered at me. "It was really funny. Do you want to hear it?"_

_I knew those words only too well. Here we go again._

"_No, I'm alright, thanks," I had replied coldly. "I really don't need to hear a joke about blind people. It stopped being hilarious after the first million times."_

_She ignored me, and began. "A blind man enters a bar and finds his way to a barstool. After ordering a drink, and sitting there for a while, the blind guy yells to the bartender 'Hey, you wanna hear a blonde joke?'_

_The bar immediately becomes absolutely quiet. In a husky, deep voice, the woman next to him says, 'Before you tell that joke, you should know something. The bartender is blonde, the bouncer is blonde, and I'm a 6 foot tall, 200 pound blonde with a black belt in karate. What's more, the woman sitting next to me is blonde and she's a weight-lifter. The lady to your right is a blonde, and she's a wrestler. Think about it seriously, Mister. You still wanna tell that joke?'_

_The blind guy thinks it over for a while, before saying, 'Nah, not if I'm gonna have to explain it five times.'"_

_She tittered with laughter. I stared at her with my unseeing (well, not completely) eyes. I knew what was coming next._

"_Do you know why I like this joke so much?" she had asked me._

"_Um…no," I said sardonically. Of course I bloody well knew. What did she think? "Was it because it was just so funny?"_

"_No," she had said, sighing. "It's because it's so well suited to you. You're blind and stupid."_

"_And I annoy blonde women?" I __had joked, though inside I felt tired and painful, and honestly _so _not up for this kind of thing._

_She didn't answer, so I carried on._

"_Yes, I know you dyed your hair peroxide blonde," I told her. "And you've got brown eyes."_

_Even a blind guy- ahem, read ME- would have realized that she was surprised._

"_But…But you're blind!" she burst out._

"_Yes," I had said. "But evidently not stupid, like you thought."_

_I heard the bars of my cage creak, and saw her white coat loom closer, as she leant forwards._

"_Yes, you are, though," she had said smoothly. "Because we know who the father of that little lovechild your friend Nudge is carrying."_

_My heart skipped a beat. They KNEW?_

"_In fact, you are _extremely_ stupid," she whispered. "You got her pregnant in the first place. You were the one who made it possible for your dear little Nudge to be in so much pain. You were the one that made it possible for us to do tests on a pregnant number. Because of you, Nudge is going to have to endure the pain...the _mental_ pain as well as the physical...of-" She tittered again. "-losing a child."_

_Furious, I leapt forwards, but she stepped backwards so I couldn't reach her._

"_Sleep well, my darling retard," she had said to me, before leaving. "Dream of bedbugs tonight."_

* * *

I slammed my fists into the sides of my cage. _Damn that woman._ Damn that woman to hell. They were going to…they were going to…

A tear slid out of my eye. I felt it slip down my cheek, curve around my chin, then drop down onto my arm. More tears came. I was crying openly now.

I knew it from the very start. I knew that what we had done would get us into trouble, but at the time it seemed so unimportant. At the time, with just me and her…The flock wanted to kill the child. They wanted Nudge to have an abortion. But at least we had still been together. At least when we were free, we still had the chance to persuade them not to do it. But not here. Nudge was in a place I didn't know about, probably locked up in some white room like me. And she was being freaking tested on.

I kicked the bars of my cage, and felt the pain reverberate through me. I gritted my teeth and looked down. One of my nails had been torn away from the impact. No matter. It was nowhere near the pain that Nudge and our baby were feeling.

The pain that _I _had caused.

Miserably, I leant backwards, bringing my long legs up to my face. I wrapped my arms around them, and put my chin on my knees. My eyelids fluttered shut, and all I could see was blackness. Whatever. I was used to it, anyway. I usually saw blackness when my eyes were open. And then I actually saw something. In my head of course…but still.

I tried to figure out what it was. A circle. _O…kay._

Then it started changing shape, morphing slowly into something bigger. The shape of a baby. But it had no face, and no color. It was just a white blob. I shut my eyes harder, willing myself to see the baby even more clearly.

Its skin tone darkened slightly, until it became a light brown. Kind of like the color of mocha. Or cappuccino. Or…a mixture of my and Nudge's skin. Then two large, piercing blue eyes popped out of the blank face, followed by a little nose. Below it came a small mouth, complete with two full pink lips- _they looked exactly like Nudge's_, I suddenly realized, with a pang. Then, in a huge rush came its hair, curly honey brown, ripping out of the baby's skin along the hairline.

It blinked, and I gasped.

I was looking at our baby. Our little baby boy.

* * *

**Max's POV**

She was in for it this time.

The freaking Superior had made them put chains on me. _Chains! _She had gotten the whitecoats to anesthetize me, so I fell asleep. Then, when I woke up- with the _worst _headache ever- I realized that they had shackled me up, putting irons around both my wrists and ankles as well as one around my- you won't even believe this- _neck_, then attached me to a wall. Sure, they had kept the chains slightly slack, so I could move around, but who wants to be in chains for days? Years, even.

I heard the door creak open, and snapped my gaze up. She walked in, and I brought my wings out, flying forwards at the fastest speed I could manage. The chains jerked me to a stop when I was a few feet away from her. Choking, I lay on the floor, rubbing my neck. That was _sooo _painful.

"Maximum," she said, raising an eyebrow as if to say, _that was dumb. _I was close. "That was…er…slightly idiotic."

I shot her my best _You-sure-don't-wanna-mess-with-me-I've-got-wings-and-you-don't_ look. It usually scared people. But then again, this time I was _shackled. _Oh, the injustice! She didn't even flinch.

"Maximum," she said again. "You should consider yourself lucky. Most of your…friends are in cages. At least you can move around. At least you're free."

"You call this-" I gestured to the chains "-_free?_"

"As free as it gets," she replied. "Well, at least _you're _still alive."

That got me up on my feet, real quick.

"Who the heck have you killed?" I snarled, trying to stop my voice from shaking. I wondered which of my family I would never see again.

"Oh, nobody," she answered. "Yet. Your, er, _niece or nephew _may be dying, though."

She was talking about Nudge's kid. The one Fang called her 'guy-chick', because of what some person had said on his blog.

"Have you aborted it?" I asked. Maybe these guys had thought we, like, loved this kid or something. So maybe they got rid of it to try and make us sad or something…These guys were really messed up. I wouldn't put it beyond them. I shuddered, remembering the electricity room. _That _had been the worst.

"No," she said. "But we've been doing chemical tests on it…and its mother."

I surged forwards again, only to be stopped- _again- _by the chains.

"Get your filthy hands," I hissed, "off Nudge. And off the rest of my flock."

"The father of the child isn't doing so well, actually," she continued, not even acknowledging my comment. "He's silent most of the time, but when I talk to him, he just snaps back. A waste of space. He just mopes around. It's like he's invisible, sometimes."

_The father of the child?_ I felt sick. Empty and sick. One of the _flock _was responsible for knocking up Nudge? I remembered what she had said.

Silent…snaps back…mopes around…invisible…

_Fang, _I thought suddenly. _It could only be Fang._

Fang, who I was in love with…Fang, who I had thought loved me back…Fang, who was always there for me, always nice to me, but who could sometimes be so freaking annoying that I wanted to kick him in the head for being such a pig… In spite of everything, he had always been Fang. _My _Fang.

But all along, he had been with Nudge. God, my sister and my boyfriend.

The Superior, seeing my expression, went, "Oh, so you didn't know?"

"Didn't know _what?_" I growled. "Didn't know that my boyfriend was shacking up with my sister?"

I knew I shouldn't have said what I had said, but it just…spilled out. The Superior looked at me with a look of childish delight. She composed herself in an instant.

"So it seems," she said. "My, there _is _a lot of incest in your family, isn't there? A brother with a sister, but secretly cheating with another sister…"

"We're not actually related! It is _not _incest!" I yelled at her, tears pricking at my eyes. "Now just get out! Get the hell out of here!"

She smiled, then slowly walked out. I collapsed in a shaking heap on the floor. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Fang…and Nudge…

My boyfriend and my sister. How could they?

* * *

**Gazzy POV**

"I order all Erasers in this room to hereby depart immediately."

I stifled a smile, as all of the Erasers, looking confused, left the room. The whitecoats started to protest, but each of them looked at each other, and they all fell silent. They couldn't argue with that voice. Not The Superior's.

"Um…whitecoats, too. But before you leave, release the mutant."

One of them came over to me reluctantly, and pressed a button. The cage doors swung open, and I sat up, grinning. As they left, I waved goodbye.

"When you have left, gather up a whole army of whitecoats and Erasers, then come and kill me. The Superi- I mean, _I..._need to be dead."

They stopped in their steps. They turned. They stared at me, still waving idiotically. I grinned back, but inside I was mad. Mad at them, who had been writing down little notes about me since I had been here, making me run loads, making me eat loads of random crap…and generally just making me do stuff. Stuff I sure as hell didn't like.

"So we just let the freak sit there and go and…_kill _our boss?" said one, sounding incredulous. "She asked us to gather up a whole army and _kill _her?"

"They're not the freaks," carried on The Superior's voice, sounding a little frustrated. "_We _are. Now, where are you? I'm waiting to be killed. It's getting a little tiring waiting, actually. Chop, chop."

One of them glared at me. His eyes widened.

"Oh my God," he breathed. "Oh _shit! _The freak's mouth is moving! _It's _talking, not the boss! D'you remember? One of it's skills was freaking mimicry! It was mimicking the…we're in so much trouble…Shit, shit…oh, holy shit…"

It was like some fast-forward button had been pressed. They all suddenly started racing for me, hands outstretched, expressions grim, shocked. _They had been outwitted by a freak!_ The Erasers who had left also came pouring in, looking grosser than ever. My grin turned nasty. Ooh, these guys were in for it big time. They had _definitely _messed with the wrong mutant. I stayed where I was for a bit longer, until all of them were in the room, coming closer and closer to me, when…

_Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrppppp!_

A second's pause, then a whole load of swearing. Some whitecoats had even fainted- no jokes- and were lying on the floor, eyes closed. The Erasers had stumbled back a couple of steps, holding a hand to their noses. Greenish yellow air settled across the whole room, clouding up the place, and I took the time to run.

I leapt out of my cage, using the whitecoats' and Erasers' heads as stepping-stones to the door. Some tried to weakly grab my legs, but no sooner than they had taken their hand away from their nose, it was back against their face, and they were looking sick. Once I had reached the open door, I bolted. A plan was already forming in my head.

I would get the flock first, busting them out of whatever hellish place they were in, then we would make a getaway. The James Bond theme tune started playing loudly in my head, and I couldn't help but hum along under my breath. So I was a little boy at heart. What're you gonna do? Sue me?

Then, all of a sudden, I saw a door approaching, and stopped, making my trainers squeal with the effort. I glanced at the sign on the door.

DNA AND GENETICS TESTING LABORATORY. 4015.

Then, below that, in a messy scrawl on a piece of A4 paper, were two more words.

_Maximum Ride_

Goodbye, James Bond. The theme tune had stopped playing. I gasped, and stepped back. Then, I gathered up all my mutant strength and…turned the door handle. It clicked open. I saw her slumped on the ground in chains.

"_Max!" _I yelled, running over to her. I grabbed hold of her shoulders, thinking that she was asleep, when she looked up at me. Her eyes were bloodshot and tearstained. I opened my mouth, then shut it again. I wouldn't ask. She wouldn't tell me anyway.

"Gazzy?" she breathed. She seemed to slump even further down the wall in relief. "Oh God, _Gazzy?"_

"Max, they put you in chains…" I whispered.

"Yeah," she said. "D'you know anything about…about Angel, or Iggy, or Total…?"

I noticed she didn't mention Nudge or Fang. _Why? _I wanted to ask. But I kept my mouth shut again. She'd probably just trailed off, because she was so tired or something.

"No," I said. "But I need to get you out of here. How do I bust these chains?"

"You need a key, I'm guessing," she replied. "Don't worry about me, Gaz. Just get yourself and anyone else you can get, out of here. I'll find my own way out."

"No, Max," I said, horrified. "I can't just _leave _you!"

"Gazzy," she said. "'Course you can leave me. I'm in chains. I can't get out right now. Wouldn't you rather one of us leave this place than both of us stay?"

"I'd actually rather _both _of us get outta here," I said. "Look, if I just whack this really, really hard-"

"I've tried that, Gazzy," she interrupted me. "It didn't work. Please just get out of here. _Now. _People are gonna come in here any moment looking for you. I don't want to watch you getting caught."

"Please, Max…" I begged. "Let me get you out."

"You can't," she said, and her gaze hardened. "Leave, Gazzy. I want you to go."

"Max, seriously…"

"Gasman, _go!" _she burst out. "They'll be here any minute."

"No, Max."

She pushed me backwards. I stared at her. Max had never, _ever _pushed me, or any of the flock members- with the exception of Fang- before. Not once. Then I saw she was crying. That was another thing I had never seen her do.

"Please go, Gaz," she said shakily. "I'm sorry…just _go."_

I backed away from her, and when I reached the door, I gave her one last look, before running down the corridor once more. I heard footsteps behind me, and didn't hesitate to snap out my wings and crash through the glass ceiling. I cried out. Bits of glass were embedded in me, and they hurt like freaking hell.

I started pulling them out, one by one. Suddenly, I heard Erasers, not so far behind me, and I forgot about the glass, flying straight towards a bundle of trees some way out. Once there, I flew as fast as I could, darting in between the trees, then took a sharp left which took me well away from any of the Erasers behind.

I went upwards, and made for another cluster of trees, some way up on the top of a cliff. I didn't bother checking behind me for Erasers. They wouldn't be able to see me in the blackness of the night, anyway.

* * *

**_Some big stuff here. Iggy is convinced that he's the one responsible for all of Nudge and his kid's pain. Max thinks Fang's been cheating on her with Nudge. Gazzy got out, but had to leave Max behind, against his own will._**

**_You got anything to say???_**


	18. Elephants

**_This is probably my weirdest chapter title ever. But, then again, the chapter's kinda weird too...BUT you've gotta read on! Trust me. (Unless you hate storms and elephants and old English novels...If you hate all of the above, then skip this chapter. Except it might be a LITTLE important. Actually, a lot important. So, um, I guess you should read on anyway!)_**

**_By the way, this is back in Angel's POV. (If it doesn't say it's anybody's POV, then just take it to mean that it's Angel's.)_**

**Elephants**

Fang thought that we should huddle together in the cave until it was over. Nudge wanted to curl up in a ball and die (which was understandable). I thought that we should save the flock.

"Are you _crazy?" _Fang wanted to know, when I voiced my opinion. "We'd be killed!"

"Angel," Nudge said. "If you hadn't noticed, we're in the middle of a…a tempest."

I gawped at her. Did she just say…_tempest?_

"Tempest," I echoed, disbelieving.

"Yeah," she said defensively. "It means storm. Like Shakespeare's play, _The Tempest."_

"Shakespeare?" I repeated. _"Shakespeare?"_

"She read a bit of Shakespeare while you and Total were gone," explained Fang, though he looked kind of floored as well.

"And some Jane Austen; some Brontë, as well," continued Nudge enthusiastically. "I tried a bit of JK Rowling and Anthony Horowitz, too, but, to be honest, I prefer the older-"

"Nudge." I said. "You read _Jane Austen?"_

And here I was, thinking that mutant bird kids were uneducated and all.

"Yes," she replied simply. "It's actually quite enjoyable."

"_Enjoyable?" _I shrieked, then grabbed her by the shoulders, looking desperately at her. "Whatever you do, Nudge, do _not _become posh. That would just be-"

"Your worst nightmare?" finished Fang, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Are you kidding me, Angel? We're in the middle of a- ahem- _tempest_, and you're worried about Nudge being a little posh? I'm kind of more worried about us staying alive."

I let go of her shoulders. "Okay. All right. Let's stay alive."

"Good plan," said Nudge, rubbing her shoulders and staring anxiously at me. "Angel, if it really worries you, then I won't read any more."

"No!" I burst out. "Please, Nudge. If that's the kind of thing you want to do…then do it. Read some novels."

Nudge looked like she was on the verge of tears. "But, Angel…"

"Seriously. Don't worry about me," I said. "I don't care if you become all snooty. You're still my big sister to me, you kn-

"Angel, I only do it for the baby!" she shouted. "_The baby _likes Shakespeare. _The baby _likes Jane Austen."

Fang stiffened. Any mention of Nudge's guy-chick made him like this. Angry. _Silently_ angry. And frustrated.

"Oh…right," I said. "Okay. The baby likes Jane. The baby doesn't like Anthony. I get it."

She smiled. "The baby especially loves _Romeo and Juliet," _she gushed. "I tried reading it to her- or him- in Korean, too, but somehow it didn't work…" _I wonder why, _I thought. "I did quite like Alex Rider, but I think all the guns and killing scared the baby a bit. It scared _me, _as well. Only a little, though. But then, when I picked up _Pride and Prejudice, _she- or he- just went quiet. The baby loved it! It was just so-"

"Nudge," said Fang. "We get it. The kid likes Shakespeare. Whatever."

She stopped talking, looking wounded.

"Fang, I _really _think we should go and save the rest of the flock," I said, changing the subject. "You see, The Superior and the whitecoats will all be focusing on the storm, and so we can just sneak in and grab them. Whaddaya suggest? Going in when the skies are blue and the sun shining? So all their attention can be on _us_? If you think I'm gonna do that, then you've got another think coming. Fang, I think it's…_vital _that we go in today. Tonight. _Now._"

He didn't say anything.

"While their attention is"- I glanced at Nudge- "_diverted, _I say we just sneak in…_clandestinely, _grab the flock, and _abscond _from the _premises. _It will just run so…_efficiently _that the flock will all be _liberated _and _fleeing _with us by morning. Trust me. It will be fine. It is, I must say, a _first-rate arrangement._"

Fang and Nudge were silent.

"You amaze me," Fang finally said.

"What, with my _breathtaking aptitude _for…_proposing _such _dexterous_ _strategies?" _I asked smugly. "Or is it because of the _intellectual format in which I present those strategic tactics…_in _witty _words that are not at all…_infinitesimal _in length."

"No," said Fang. "It's because you're trying to impress Nudge with the long words."

"I do not believe so!" I argued. "My _astute _brain is _merely _trying to _express _and _articulate _the _schemes _that I have _conscientiously _and, in short, _judiciously contemplated, _and the _conversing device _in the front of my face is _simply conveying _my schemes (which were _proposed _by my _intelligent _brain) in _precise, explicit _forms of speech which just may be _excessively exceeding in knowledge _for such mutants who stand _gallantly _before me to _appreciate…"_

I trailed off, grinning. Fang's face cracked into a rare smile, as did Nudge's.

"Okay, now you're just kidding around," he said. "So let's get going."

Nudge's eyes widened in shock. "We're _going?" _she exclaimed. "Just because Angel spouted out some long words?"

"_In actual fact_-" I began, but Fang cut me off.

"No, Nudge," he said. "_We're _going, but _you're _staying. And I agreed with Angel 'cause it's a good idea. _Not _because of the long words. The long words nearly killed me."

"But that's so unfair!" Nudge said, crossing her arms across her chest. "If _you're _going, then why shouldn't I?"

"You are _currently _in the _state _of pregnancy," I explained. "When which the _not-yet-correctly-fashioned embryo _is in the _condition whence _if it were knocked around, _perchance _it may _depart this life."_

Nudge was swayed immediately. "I don't want my baby to die," she said. "So I'll stay. Fine. I'll wait here, okay? But be careful!"

"We shall, my _benevolent, compassionate, kind-hearted, exquisite-"_

"Oh, just shut up already," grumbled Fang. "Come on."

We leapt off the cliff face, into the storm.

"Now will you stop with the long words?" Fang asked, once we were a good deal away. "Since Nudge isn't around?"

"Fine," I said, smiling. "But I never knew that I knew so many- _AAAAARRRGHHHH!"_

A bolt of lightning shot down between us, and I dodged it, terrified. When it passed, spots danced in front of my eyes, but I could still see Fang, unharmed. He looked at me, and mouthed an angry swearword. He flew over.

"Angel, you okay?" he asked. "Freaking hell…"

I touched my hair. It was singed, the tips of them black, and standing up on end. My wingtips were in the same condition. I coughed, and rubbed my eyes.

"I'm all right," I said. "I think that electricity room braced me for this. It was worse. The lightning didn't hit me full-on, at least. It just….buzzed past."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Fang asked again, as the thunder rumbled and more lightning lit up the sky.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said. "A little scared, but fine."

Just then, I felt a droplet of rain. I looked up, and saw a whole torrent coming down. _Crap. _My eyes widened in horror. In seconds, Fang and I were not only flying through a thunderstorm, but we were also fighting our way blindly through a…it was literally like a wall of water, you could say.

"Fang," I shouted, then spat out the water that had filled my mouth. "Fang, can you see the building?" I spat again.

Fang's voice came back, sounding _really _distant. Which was funny, because I knew he was quite close. "I can't see _anything! _Can you?"

"No!" I bellowed.

Then, on top of the rain, there was wind. Like currents of wind cutting through the rain, throwing us around. I was blown right up, then battered around some more, until I realized that I should pull my wings in, so just the (singed) wingtips would be out. It was like that time when we escaped from the Uber-director. Except this time, it was just me and Fang.

"_Fang!" _I shouted frantically. "Fang, where the heck are…"

My voice died away as I shot to the right, screaming silently in the storm…Nudge was right. It _was _a tempest. Like a super-strong, super-scary, super-massive tempest. Oh yeah. And I forgot to mention super-_wet. _Seriously. I was _drenched. _My soaking clothes were the main reason that the wind couldn't carry me further away, because they were so heavy.

"Fang!" I shrieked again.

_Heavy, _I suddenly thought. _Heavy._

I had had an amazing idea. Like, a freaking epiphany. I bet if I were a cartoon character, there would be a lightbulb shining over my head.

It took all of my concentration to morph into the heaviest, bulkiest elephant. A second later, I had crashed to the ground. My huge mouth opened.

"Fang!" I trumpeted. _"Fang!"_

Then a huge gust of wind came, and I felt myself being dragged along the ground. The storm was dragging the heaviest elephant in the world across the ground.

Crap. It was _some _storm.

In determination, I wrapped my trunk- yes, it was weird having a trunk- around a broad tree. The dragging stopped, but I could still feel the wind tugging at me.

_Fang, _I thought fiercely. The furthest person- or mutant- I had ever used telepathy with, or influenced had been around fifteen meters away. I tried to concentrate harder. Fang could be anywhere. He could definitely be out of range. _Fang, where are you? FANG?_

Nothing. Just the noisy whistle of the wind rushing through the trees, the sound of constant rain pouring down, the sound of thunder crashing in the sky overhead, the sound of my feet being pulled slowly across the ground… I needed silence. I couldn't concentrate with all this noise. I thought of Fang, and only Fang. His black tousled hair; his dark, usually expressionless eyes; his sardonic comments; the way he could make me laugh; the way he rushed at me and hugged me when he saw me; the way I thought that I had seen a glimmer of a tear in his eye; his silent love for the flock…My big brother, Fang.

Silence. I could finally hear nothing, just my thoughts.

_Fang, _I called, gently trying to extend my limits. _Fang. It's me. Angel. I need you._

And then, from somewhere in the silence came his voice.

_Angel. Where the heck is Angel? _He was frantic. I felt him jerk as the wind hit him. I heard him swear. I heard his _voice, _not his thoughts. His _voice. _How the heck... This had never happened before. It was like I had _become _Fang. I wasn't just reading his thoughts. I _was _him. And then, suddenly I felt tired and painful all over, with tinge of fear and worry. I opened my eyes. No, not _my_ eyes.

_Fang's_ eyes.

I saw a flurry of rain before me, gushing down in torrents, and felt a shudder go through me as the thunder crackled above. Lightning surged powerfully down, illuminating my surroundings for a moment. In that moment, I glanced around, looking for Angel…_me. _The elephant. I was practically blinded by the rain, and had to keep blinking it away. I pulled my wings- _Fang's_ wings- closer to my body, and used the tips to try and guide me down to the ground. It was useless. The wind was _way _too powerful. I suddenly wondered if my skills could work while I was in Fang's body.

I shut my eyes, envisioning that elephant…

And then I was falling. When I opened my eyes again, I was on the ground. My huge, grey, lumbering body was on the ground. I smiled. I had done it.

Now all I had to do was find the other elephant. Angel._ Me. _I had to find me. (And if you didn't notice how weird that sentence was, I'll say it again: _I had to find me._)

I trudged through the storm, feeling the rain heavy on my back, and carried on…and on…and on… Where the hell was I? Where was Angel, when I had left her…me? I shook my head. This was _so _confusing.

Then, all of a sudden, I saw a massive, dark shape, clutching a tree. My heart leapt inside my chest, and I let out a cry, though it came out as more of a trumpet. And my body turned around, saw me, eyes wide, then let go of the tree and rushed towards me.

Now there's a sight you don't see every day. Two elephants running towards each other in a godforsaken tempest.

I blinked, and suddenly I was back in Angel's…back in _my…_body. Fang was Fang again, not an elephant. He lay sprawled across the ground, glaring at me. I beckoned to him with my, um, trunk, and then grabbed him, just when he was about to be dragged away by the wind, holding him close to me.

_Fang, you okay? _I thought.

_What the heck was that? _He thought furiously. _I was in the air, flying, and then suddenly I was an…an elephant on the ground, _he finally choked out. _And then I was myself again, and now I've been picked up by another elephant, and- Shit! I've been picked up by a freaking elephant! I've got to get free..._

_Fang, listen, _I thought. _I'm the elephant. Stop hitting me! _He stopped. _Listen. I…did something weird._

_What did you do, Angel? _He asked bitterly. _Yank me out of my own body, then put me in…yours? What the heck?_

_I…think that's exactly what I did, _I replied. _I was scared for you, and I was trying to reach your thoughts, when suddenly I WAS you. And you were me. Then I just wanted to be in my own body again, and I was. I think it's a new skill!_

_A new skill? _He echoed sarcastically. _I thought I was losing my freaking mind! It was freaking-_

_Scary? _I prompted. Like _Fang _would ever admit to being scared.

_Yeah, _he thought, and I started. _I thought I was, like, DEAD or something. Or crazy, at the very least._

_You're not dead, _I assured him. _Or crazy. But it's pretty cool, being in a different body…it's a really cool skill._

_What're you gonna call it? _asked Fang. _Body-freaking-swapping?_

_Mmm…maybe. But without the 'freaking', _I thought. _And without the 'body'. I didn't swap our bodies…well I did, but more our minds and our skills. So I'm gonna call it-_

_Mind-and-skill-swapping?_ offered Fang.

_No. Our skills are to do with our minds, _I explained. _So it would just be mind-swapping. But I'm gonna call it psyche-swapping. Or psyche-exchange. Psyche-switcher?_

_Psyche? _Fang repeated.

_Yeah, _I thought with a grin. _You know, just for the thrill of a cool word._

_I'd go with psyche-exchange, then, _he thought, trying to hide his annoyance. _And you could shorten it, you know, to PE. Like the school subject._

_You're SO funny, _I thought sardonically. _But I'm gonna leave it as psyche-swapping. Or maybe just thought-swapping._

_But it's NOT thoughts we swapped, _he told me. _It was our MINDS. Our psyches._

I looked at him. He was grinning like an idiot.

_Fine, _I thought, giving in. _Mind-swapping._

_Now THAT sounds good, _he thought. _Almost as good as-_

_Um, Fang? _I thought. _Sorry to interrupt, but I think now would be a good time to rescue the flock._

He was silent for a moment.

_The flock, _he agreed eventually. _We need to save the flock. But Angel…_

_Yes? _I asked. _What?_

He shook his head. _No. It doesn't matter. Forget it._

_What? _I asked him. _Tell me._

_Forget it, _he thought again. _Let's just go find the flock._

And that was the end of that.

* * *

**_Just for the record, I don't think anyone who reads Shakespeare and Jane Austen is posh or snooty, or whatever Angel thought. And also, JK Rowling and Anthony Horowitz DO NOT SUCK. I just wanted a few modern(-er) authors, and they were the first to come to mind, you know, besides JP. But it would just be a bit weird to put him in a Max Ride fanfic. Don't you think??? So that's why I left him out. Only because of that._**


	19. Breakin

**_An extremely late merry christmas to everyone, and an on-time happy new year!!!_**

**Break-in**

_Angel, we can't go in through there, _Fang thought.

_Why not? _I retorted. _What, do we break another window? Sure we can go in through there._

_We cannot go in through the place we left, _he thought. _Because there will be loads of Erasers there, waiting for us. Waiting to possibly, um, I dunno…kill us?_

_Possibly, _I pointed out.

_We are NOT going in there, _he repeated.

I stopped, mid-flight. He stopped and looked at me.

_Watch and learn, Fang, _I thought. _Oh, and stay here. If you move, I will kill you._

_Whatever, _he thought. _Like you would ever be able to kill ME._

_Fang. _I thought. _You've seen me talk Erasers and stuff into killing themselves, right? Erasers who are, like, really strong and heavy. How hard d'you think it would be for me to kill you? Since I'm so familiar with your mind and all._

He was silent, then grinned. _I think I get your point, Miss Badass._

_Oh yeah, _I agreed. _I am sooo badass._

I smiled, and flew a little farther forwards. Now I was almost above the place where we had escaped from earlier today. I closed my eyes and thought of, um…mosquitoes…with really hard skin so they couldn't be squished.

_Good one. _I almost patted myself on the back for it. Yes, I know it was sad…but I _was _kinda proud of myself.

And then I was one. A super-strong mosquito.

I couldn't help thinking how much I hated mosquitoes- and generally, _bugs-_ as I flew inside, keeping to the wall, where no Eraser would look. Fang was right. They were practically prowling through this corridor. I flew on, darting out of sight every time an Eraser looked my way, and when I was a long way from all of them, I began listening for familiar thoughts.

_Must…not…close…my…eyes…Must…not…sleep…………_

Was that…was that voice…?

_Oh…God…Must…NOT…sleep…So…tired…_

Oh, holy crap. It _was._

"Total," I whispered. "Total, I'm coming to get you."

I quickly changed course and whizzed through various corridors, until I was outside the room Total was in, where I could hear his thoughts coming from. I flitted down to the bottom of the door, then slipped inside, underneath the door, where there was a tiny slit of space. Then I saw him, lying in a glass box, and I wanted to kill those whitecoats around him…right here…right now. They were _sooo _dead. But that would mess up my plan. Instead, I flew over to a plant pot- with a plastic plant inside- and landed there.

I thought of Fang.

This time, I felt myself- well, my mind- fall into Fang's body, and shivered. It was the weirdest feeling I had ever felt. (And that included the time when I ate a whole pack of Cheerios without stopping at Dr. Martinez's house- she was pretty horrified, and made sure never to get me near _any _type of cereal again. Shame. I kinda liked the stuff. Gazzy had dared me. But at least I got five bucks out of it all.)

I gave myself a second to relax, to _become _Fang, and think over my plan again, before I began to fly towards the building, morphing first into a bird, then into a really tiny bird, then into a mosquito. You want the reason why? The Erasers would've surely seen Fang's massive wings if he had gotten around twenty meters close.

I slipped past them, once inside, fluttering my tiny wings, and made my way to Total's room. It took me ages. That thing that person said, about time passing quicker when you're having fun came into my head again, and I seriously wanted to beat him to a freaking pulp.

And then I was there.

I slipped underneath the door, like before, and positioned myself behind one of the whitecoats. I braced myself, then thought of Angel, and I was back.

I saw Fang shudder as he was suddenly human again, and he whacked the whitecoat before him, hard on the head. The whitecoat crumpled. I flew from behind the plant pot, changing into my real form as I went, and my fist met another whitecoat's nose. He screamed. Fang and I froze. Then I saw a notice on the door, and skimmed through it.

SOUNDPROOF DOOR.

EXTREMELY STRONG. NO SOUND FROM INSIDE THE ROOM WILL BE HEARD OUTSIDE, AND VICE VERSA. TO OPEN IT, RAISE THE HANDLE UPWARDS.

TO MAKE SURE THAT LOUD EXPERIMENTS INSIDE THE ROOM DO NOT DISTURB ANYONE OUTSIDE, THE WALLS OF ALL EXPERIMENTATION LABORATORIES (THESE INCLUDE THE VIVISECTION LABORATORIES, THE CHEMICAL TESTING LABORATORIES, THE DNA AND GENETIC CREATION LABORATORIES, THE DNA AND GENETIC TESTING LABORATORIES AND THE PRODUCT MANUFACTURING LABORATORIES) AS WELL AS ALL OFFICES ARE ALSO KEPT SOUNDPROOF.

IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY, PRESS THE ALARM BELL. BREAK THE GLASS, AND PRESS THE RED BUTTON TO TRIGGER THE ALARM.

I relaxed, saying "This is a soundproof room," to Fang, but then saw a whitecoat staggering over to the alarm bell.

_No one press the alarm. _I sent the thought out to everyone, except for Fang and Total. _Everyone drop down dead- _I suddenly thought of Total, who was still lying, unconscious, inside the glass box- _except for you, the one with long red hair._

Around us, all of the whitecoats crumpled, except the redhead.

"Was that you?" Fang asked, and I nodded.

He shook his head in disbelief.

"That was some freaky crap," I heard him mutter under his breath. "God, Angel's…out-of-this-_world-_freaky. I'm gonna piss my freaking pants if she ever does that again."

"Thanks," I said.

He blinked. Then he suddenly realized what he had said, about the whole him pissing-himself thing, and his jaw dropped open. "Did you _hear…_?"

I blinked back innocently. "Was I not _meant_ to hear…?"

Someone whimpered. It was the redhead whitecoat who was trembling in the corner of the room. We went over to her, and Fang pressed his thumb against her throat. She collapsed on the floor. He rolled his eyes, then held her up by the collar of her white lab coat. He glanced expectantly at me.

"Fang, step away," I said, and looked her in the eye as she fell back down on the floor.

_Check if the others are dead, _I thought at her.

_Check if…_she thought, looking blankly at me.

_Go and check if all your freaking whitecoat friends are dead! _I thought fiercely. _NOW._

She struggled to her feet and went around to each of the whitecoats, pressing her fingers against each of their throats and wrists, before coming back to me. She shook her head.

"They're all dead," she croaked.

_You told them to die, and they just died? _Fang wanted to know, incredulous. _You just told them to and…_

_Correction, _I informed him. _I told them to drop down dead, not just to die. There IS a difference, you know._

_And they just died, _he thought. _They just dropped down dead._

_You gonna piss yourself, Fangster? _I thought, smirking.

He glared at me. _I was only kidding._

_Whatever, _I thought. _I bet your pants are DRIPPING._

_It was a freaking figure of speech-_

_Mmm-hmm. Whatever you say, pretty boy._

_Pretty… _he trailed off, looking at me in horror. Then he changed the subject. _I still can't believe they just…dropped down freaking dead!_

_Well, the human brain can do extraordinary things, _I told him. _I bet it just…shut down or something._

_Angel, the point is-_

_The point is, we've got to hurry the heck up, _I thought. _Now shut up and let me influence this woman._

_Work your magic, _Fang thought sourly. _Your dark magic._

_Shut up, _I thought. _I'm trying to concentrate._

_You're one heck of a witch, _Fang thought, with a smile. _Vampire…do they even DO magic? Fine, er…fairy? No, that's not DARK magic. I think I'll just stick with witch. But do- _I shot him a glare. This was _Fang. _Fang never talked this much. It was weird how some stuff could seriously change some people. Like, a ten-year separation. Or some wet pants. I stifled a giggle. _'Kay, I'm shutting up, _he thought.

I turned to the redhead.

_Get the dog out of that glass box, _I told her. _Do it. Get him out._

She walked unsteadily over to a computer, and tapped in a code. A shrill sound erupted, and Fang and I glanced cautiously at the door. The sound stopped. No-one came in. The lid of the box split into two and slid down. But Total was still snoring…If a dog could snore, he was doing it.

_Wake him up, _I ordered.

She gave a little nod, then went over to a cupboard. She pulled something out, nodded again, then started towards my brother. Fang inhaled sharply, and darted over to her. She was on the floor in an instant.

"Give me that thing," he snarled. "And get the hell away from me."

"Fang, back off!" I hissed. "What the heck d'you think you're doing?"

"She's got an injection," he said. "You think I can just stand here and let her stab Total?"

I swallowed nervously. Could _I _just stand there and watch her inject something into him? But my influencing skill was never wrong.

"Are you calling my skill a fake?" I said, rounding on him. "It works perfectly well. That injection's gonna wake him up. Trust me."

"Angel," he growled. "I can't…"

"Just get out of the way," I said. Something came to me in a flash. "Fang, you don't think I…"

"I don't think what?" He sounded suspicious.

Tears were welling up in my eyes. I rubbed them furiously away. I was _not _going to cry. _No…freaking…way… _Oh, crap. I _was._

"You don't actually think I'm on _their _side, do you?" I asked him. "You don't think I…"

He shook his head. "No. No way! How could you think that I would…" he trailed off, and stepped away from the redhead. "Angel, you're practically my little sister. I would _never _think that."

"Then…just let the whitecoat do it," I said, my voice trembling. "Please, Fang. We need to get out of here. _Fast."_

"Angel, I can't…" he muttered.

"If you don't move," I said to him, wiping the tears away from my face. It didn't help. More tears replaced them. "More whitecoats are gonna come. This is a freaking _rescue _mission, Fang. We turned ourselves into _elephants _for this. You can't let a little injection get in the way of that."

He didn't say anything.

"Fine, Fang," I whispered. "I just…I never thought you'd feel that…"

"God, Angel," he said, sounding frustrated. "I _don't _think you're on their side or anything! It's just that…"

"Just that what?"

"It's just that…"

"Fang, trust me," I said shakily. "Total needs this injection, or he's not gonna be waking up anytime soon."

He stared at me. Then he slowly stepped away from the woman, holding both his arms up, palms forward, above his head, in a gesture of surrender.

"Fine," he said. "Do it. I trust you. But if anything happens to Total…I'm gonna kill that woman."

"Yeah…so will I," I replied, my tears drying up a little. "But I will either way."

"'Course you will," he agreed, grinning. "You're badass, remember?"

The redhead interrupted us, tripping up over her own feet.

_Do it, _I ordered. _Now._

She stumbled over to Total, then plunged the needle inside his…I'm not going to say where. Then she squeezed the syringe down, until every drop of whatever-was-inside had disappeared. She stepped back, and a moment later, Total stirred.

I glanced over at Fang, wanting _sooo _bad to say _I told you so. _But I didn't.

"C'mon," he said. "Let's get outta here."

He picked the waking Total up, and we began to sprint. At the last moment, I thought at the woman, _You can die now. _We heard a thump. Followed by a few more. And then a clatter. Fang started to turn around, when I pulled him back.

"You probably don't want to see what's going on back there," I advised. "Hell, even _I _don't want to!"

He turned back around, and we began running again. Total looked at us feebly, then yelped with delight.

"_Shh," _we both said at the same time.

"Total, be quiet," I said, "or they'll find us."

"It's too late," came a voice. "We already have."

I looked up in shock to see The Superior standing there, backed up by a heck of a lot of Erasers. I glanced at Fang.

"U and A?" he hissed.

I looked up. Above the glass ceiling, hundreds of Erasers were flying around, their beady orange eyes fixed on us. _Damn._

"I don't think U and A is a good idea," I hissed back. "I think we should _random letters."_

That was our code for _turn the hell away and run back the way we came._

We turned the hell away.

There were more Erasers standing there, swaying closer and closer…

I stepped closer to Fang. Total let out a little whine. Fang's eyes narrowed.

We were trapped.


	20. Busting Out

**_It's been ages, hasn't it???? And I'm SOOO sorry for that, been TERRIBLE and focused on an HP fanfic, Lingering Darkness, when I should've been writing this. Sorry! But I hope it meets any standards... Hoping..._**

**Busting Out**

Gazzy POV

I made a quick mental note of the situation, going over all the good things and all the bad things.

_Good. _I think that (finally) all of those gross mutant thingies have flown back to that horrible glass bubble building.

_Bad. _I don't have any of the flock with me. I still have bits of glass stuck inside of me. My but is _really _painful from that, erm… outburst back there. I left Max alone, tied up in chains.

It didn't take a genius to work out that my _Bad_s outnumbered all of my _Good_s. Which was good, though, since I'm no genius.

I wondered, though, if I was the only one who had escaped. Based on skills, Angel was probably by far the most powerful of all of us; based on physical strength and attacking/defensive skills, the strongest would be Max or Fang. But Max was in freaking chains. I only hoped that Fang or Angel (or better yet, Fang _and _Angel, had managed to escape as well).

The other members of the flock I wasn't too sure about. Take Iggy. Don't want to be too harsh on the kid, but he's blind. For him, it would be pretty hard to try and get out of that high-tech, high-security, high-_cruelty, _newer, better (or worse, depending on which way you looked at it)version of the School. The colours thing was cool, but it wouldn't _really _help. And Nudge. Fact one: she was pregnant. That pretty much covered it. Even though she could probably do something amazing, like unlock her cage or whatever using her magnetic skill, or hack into a computer super-fast and find out how to bust herself out, or even if that guy-chick of hers could teleport or something, she was a whole lot heavier than usual, a whole lot more hormonal (trust me on this one), and a whole lot more easily tired. She hadn't been able to fly for days without someone helping her. And, finally, Total? He didn't have _any _skills.

I sighed. I was counting pretty much on Fang and Angel.

I got up from my half-slumped position after a while, and looked around. There was a thick crowd of trees, all jam-packed together at the edge of the cliff. I stared at them uneasily. Even in the darkness of the night, I could see okay. Enough, at least, to see all the prickly bits on the leaves. They weren't cacti or anything, but they were still pretty close. There was no way I was sleeping in any of them. _Guess I'd better find somewhere else, then._

As I walked away, further away from the edge, I began grabbing any remaining shards of glass and yanking them out. Each time I would wince, but I never made a sound. I sure as hell didn't want any of those gross things finding me, and, for all I knew, they had super-hearing.

Walking sucked. After years of flying, I couldn't really do anything but. My feet usually just dangled in the air; it was horrifying to see how tired I got just by moving them, and supporting my weight on them. We hadn't had any sort of attack since that time ten years ago, so I had pretty much forgotten how to strike a good kick. Pretty much.

_Aw, forget it, _I thought, snapping out my wings. It wasn't worth it.

I scanned the face of the cliff for any good spots, somewhere I could just rest for the time being, and finally saw a hollow in the craggy rock… like a cave. I dove down towards it, ignoring the spasms of pain that shot down my shoulders whenever I shifted my wings.

My feet touched down.

I headed to the back of the cave, where it was slightly darker. I didn't want to take any chances. Then I propped myself up against the wall, slid down it, and lay down on the cold stone floor. I shut one eye first, keeping the other just slightly open like Max had always taught us to. There was nothing. Not a flicker of movement. Both my eyelids fluttered shut.

Several things happened at once.

Something hard and cold and sharp touched my throat. Two feet- two dead weights- held my wrists down so I couldn't move my arms. And a voice.

"I'm going to kill you now. Buh-bye."

I recoiled in shock. That voice sounded _so _familiar. The stone pressed further down into my throat. I racked my brain for answers, but the pain from my glass cuts was finally starting to make everything blurry… my eyes fogged up… my memory…

_Aaaarrgh! Gasman, _I thought. _Focus._

"Any last words, you ugly, gross, mean, disgusting-"

Those words- that voice- finally hit home.

"_Nudge?"_

And so, it seemed, did mine.

"_Gazzy?"_

I coughed, choking against the stone at my throat. "Yep," I said. "But only if you let me go."

The stone was withdrawn, and Nudge staggered away, apologizing. "God Gazzy, I'm so sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry."

"Help me up?" I asked, holding out a hand.

She hauled me to my feet. We stared at each other for a few seconds. A brother and a sister. A sister and a brother. We both grinned, then, and threw ourselves at each other, flinging our arms around the other.

"I didn't know anyone else had escaped!" I burst out. "'Cause freaking hell, those whitecoat morons keep the whole thing so-"

"Fang and Angel left a few hours ago," interrupted Nudge. "Have you seen them? The thunderstorm's completely died down. They've been gone for ages… They went to find you guys."

"No, I didn't see anyone." I immediately felt guilty. I'd seen Max, hadn't I? And I'd just left her. "I… I just escaped."

"Thank God you did, though," she said. "Or else I'd still be alone without my lil' brother."

Nudge hugged me even tighter, and I felt her huge belly press against my not-so-huge belly. It made me feel kind of weird thinking that my sort-of nephew or niece was in there. I pulled away from her and looked at the massive bump.

"What're you gonna call the guy-chick, Nudge?" I asked.

She looked a bit annoyed. "Why does everyone keep calling my baby the guy-chick?" she said. "It's kind of a weird name, don't you think? But if you _really _want to know, I'm considering the names, for a girl, Cheesecake and for a boy, Dynamite."

This made me burst out into laughter. "Cheesecake, Nudge? _Dynamite?"_

She licked her lips. "Mmm. I love cheesecake. And dynamite just sounds so… _dynamic_. Right?"

"Still. _Cheesecake?"_

"Fine, fine." She rolled her eyes. "There_ is_ another girl's name. I was thinking Sunny."

"That's a bit better," I said, nodding. "Sunny or Dynamite."

She nodded back with a completely straight face. "Yes. Sunny or Dynamite."

A corner of my lip twitched, and I couldn't keep myself from laughing anymore. Even though we still had no idea where the rest of the flock were, we were laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Yeah. You don't have to tell me. I know it anyway.

I know we're freaks.

* * *

Max POV

_Okay. When they come in, do what you do best, Max. Slow your breathing. Do not inhale any of that stuff they made you sniff last time. Then bust yourself, and anyone else still here out. Go full speed, knock out all of those whitecoats and Erasers. They won't know what hit them. Max. You gotta deal with that crazy Superior by yourself. Can't endanger the flock._

For once, it wasn't the voice taking. It was me giving myself a quick pep-talk. Readying myself.

The door clicked open.

I took one deep, silent breath. And held it. I'd always wanted to know how long I could hold my breath for. Last year I beat Gazzy with two minutes. I just hoped it was enough.

"Max," The Superior crooned. "How nice to see you."

I didn't reply. I _couldn't _reply. All of my concentration was focused on not sucking in a whole mouthful of air. But I kept my ribs moving, just so they'd think that I was actually breathing.

Three Erasers came forwards, and while two held my arms and legs down, one brought my face up. I didn't resist. I let an uneasy whitecoat come forwards and press a towel to my face. I kept holding my breath. How long had it been now? Thirty seconds? Forty? I didn't know. I slumped forwards then, letting all of my senses dull. One Eraser traced a circle on my cheek with one sharp, pointy nail and I resisted the urge to lash out.

"Okay, take her out." I registered The Superior's voice blurrily, and wondered if I had actually- somehow- inhaled some of that stuff.

I felt someone lift me up, felt the chains loosen on my wrists, my ankles, and finally my neck. I felt them move, heard a door open, and opened my eyelids a crack. So we were going down a corridor now, just another of those glass-roofed, white-walled corridors that they had everywhere here. I looked at the ceiling. I could so easily break free out of this place.

I made my move.

I snapped out my wings, causing the Eraser to stagger backwards, surprised the heck out of his wits. The Superior started yelling orders to the other Eraser, who tried to grab me. I silenced him with a few punches, followed by a quick uppercut to his jaw. I sensed the other Eraser coming at me, and kicked out, slamming my foot into his hip. He screamed, and I winced as I heard bones shutter. So that was news. These guys _weren't _robots. They had bones. I drove my elbow backwards, hitting his throat, and he was unconscious before he even hit the floor. I rounded on The Superior. She was furiously trying to turn her walkie-talkie or whatever it was on. It wasn't responding. I smiled.

"Tough luck, Superior," I said. "You gotta give up. You'll never get us."

She glared at me. _God. If looks could kill…_

And before she even knew what was happening, she was on the ground. I grabbed her head, and hit it hard against the floor. Her eyes slipped shut. She was unconscious too.

I looked around quickly, and, after making sure that no-one actually had any idea what was happening to their boss yet, I began to drag her back to the room I'd been imprisoned in. She moaned a little as I slotted her wrists and ankles and, finally, her neck, into the chains. They clicked shut and I grinned evilly. Now she could experience what I had. I rummaged around in her pockets and tore out a piece of paper from her notepad and grabbed a pen. I started to scribble a note.

_This experiment is being particularly violent at the moment. I suggest filling the room with knockout gas, then leaving it for a while. 24 hours should be great._

_-The Superior._

I smiled. Now to find the flock, then bust us out of here. Where to start? I left the note on the door of the room, pulled it shut, then began sprinting in any old direction. No, not really. I relaxed, and let my avian 'navigation' skills guide me. I closed my eyes. Took a right, took a left, took another left… Stopped. I opened my eyes. My sixth sense was telling me to go into this room. It was practically screaming at me.

_Go on, Max. You have to go in there._

Over ten years, I had gotten used to the Voice leaving me for long periods of time, then coming back whenever. The longest time we'd gone without speaking was, what, nearly a year?

_Voice, _I thought. _Now really isn't the time._

_Hurry, Maximum. Open the door. You haven't got much time. Go. Now._

I didn't hesitate. I opened the door, and ran inside. And gasped. There was Iggy, bundled up in a cage, crying softly.

"_Iggy?" _I said. "Iggy, I'm gonna get you out of there right now."

I couldn't believe it. I'd thought being put in a cage was the worst thing that could happen, but Iggy was over _six feet tall! _That cage… that cage he was in was barely a meter tall and maybe two meters long. He tilted his head towards me, and looked wary.

"Iggy, it's me, Max."

Iggy stared at me with unseeing eyes. His hands traced the bars of the cage. "Max?" he whispered. "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

"No, Iggy," I said, and, to my horror, felt tears running down my own cheeks now. I rushed up to him, and touched his face through the bars. "Iggy, I'm gonna get you out of here."

"Really?" He sounded hopeful for a moment, then shook his head gently. "I can't leave Nudge."

I didn't answer. Where was the Voice when I needed it?

_Right here, Maximum._

_What do I have to do? Help me. I don't… I can't lie to Ig, but I've gotta get him out of here now._

_Nudge is free, _the Voice answered. _And so is the Gasman. Fang and Angel were… but they came back to get everyone and were caught._

Fang's name brought a prickle of something back to me. I felt my bottom lip quiver. Me, the invincible Maximum Ride, felt my _bottom lip quiver!_

_Iggy, _reminded the Voice.

I turned back to face him. "Ig," I said, "Nudge is safe. She's outta here. So I need you to come with me."

His response was immediate. "Sure. Get me outta here, Max. Get me outta here. I need to see her."

I didn't even wonder why he wanted to see Nudge so bad, because, at that very moment, the Voice cried out in my head.

_What? What's wrong? _I asked hurriedly. _Voice?_

_Someone's coming, Max. Someone you really don't want to meet. Get Iggy out now._

_But-_

_NOW, Max. Hurry!_

"Iggy, where's the key?" I said. "Tell me quickly."

"Max, I'm _blind," _he retorted.

I cocked my head. "Iggy, I'm cocking my head."

He smiled. "Max, you know me too well."

This nearly made me try and jump up and hug him through the bars. Even in a time like this, Iggy, my amazing Iggy, was trying to crack a joke.

_Maximum! _The Voice startled me back into action.

"Iggy, I need you to hur-"

"Fine, fine. It's over there, I think." He pointed to a small safe attached to the wall, and I hurried over to it. I drew back a fist.

"Iggy, this is gonna be loud," I warned, before smashing my fist into the metal. It dented immediately, leaving a crack where I could slip my hand through. I could see a glint of metal just there, just beyond my fingertips…

_Maximum, she's coming!_

I reached in further, straining to get the key. _Come on, come on… _I begged silently. _Come on…_

_MAXIMUM! Hurry! _The Voice yelled. _She's nearly here!_

My fingertip brushed the edge of one jagged side of the key, and I managed to finally grab it, and pull it through the crack. I ran over to Iggy, and drove the key into the lock. It clicked open, and Iggy started to make his way out.

_Maximum!_

I grabbed one of his hands and pulled him out. Then I bolted for the door like hell, Iggy right behind me, following my footsteps.

"U and A right now!" I screamed. "Glass overhead, but it's the only way out! U and A! U and A!"

Iggy, as if on cue, launched himself up into the air. I hesitated. What about the others? It was my job to save them too…

_Leave now, Maximum. Leave with Iggy. You can get back to them later. You have to go now._

_No! I can't just leave the others!_

_Listen to me, Max! _This surprised me. The Voice never called me Max. _Get out of here now! NOW, Max!_

I didn't hesitate this time. I followed Iggy up into the air, shattering the glass, before looking back one more time.

I saw a flash of blonde hair, then the sound of something being fired, and a dart whiz past my ear. I picked up my pace.

"Get outta here, Iggy!"

_Voice, where are Nudge and Gazzy? _

_Follow your senses, _said The Voice. _Always follow your senses, Maximum._

**_Review????? Pretty please with a super yummy cherry on top???_**


	21. Anastasia

**_Heyyy! I wrote this quickie over the weekend, so... as usual... hope you like it!_**

**Anastasia**

"Angel. _Angel._"

"What?" I mumbled.

"Get up. Get the hell up, Angel."

"Nnnyaaa," I moaned, shutting my eyes. "Go 'way."

The voice stopped. But not for long.

_Angel, get up right now! Come on, Angel!_

_Go away, Fang. Let me sleep…_

Then another voice, so familiar. _Angel, get your blue eyes open right this-_

_Total? _I thought. _Total's here?_

_Uh Angel? You SAVED me. Well, tried to anyway._

_But I thought they'd killed you. _Images of Total flying across the electricity room, those dark, blank eyes…

I felt Total's horror. _No, I'm pretty much alive, _he finally managed. _But you've gotta get up, Angel. Get up now._

Then it all came flooding back… the escape… finding Total… the recapture…

Fang's thoughts joined in. _Angel. If you don't get yourself awake in five seconds, I'm literally gonna…_

_I get it, Fang. I'm getting up._

I opened my eyes. Fang and Total were sitting beside me. As soon as they knew I was up, Fang's expression turned determined.

"Angel, it's time for some PE," he said with a completely straight face.

I spluttered. "Excuse me?"

Total stared at him, looking bewildered. "Fang?"

Then, all of a sudden, I understood.

* * *

_I'd go with psyche-exchange, then… _he had thought. _Then you could shorten it, you know, to PE. Like the school subject._

* * *

"Oh," I said. _"PE. _But don't you mean MS?"

"Oh yeah," he said. "That was it. Can you do it now, then?"

Total looked incredulous. "Are you both _crazy?"_

"Total, I need you to relax. Whatever happens, you've got to go with the flow."

_I have a new skill, _I thought at him. Who knew, the room could be bugged. _It's called Mind-swapping. I'll literally make us switch bodies. Just don't freak out, 'kay?_

"Don't freak out?" Total hissed. "Of course I'll bloody well…"

I calmed myself, let all of the noise around me fade away. Then I thought of Fang. Once more, I felt myself fall into his body, and then I opened my eyes.

"OK," I said in Fang's voice. "You guys wait here. Don't do anything. Just stay there."

"Sure, Angel," said Fang in my voice. "Just be quick, all right?"

Total looked from me to Fang- or, really, Fang in my body- and back to me. "What is going _on?" _he whimpered.

I flashed him a smile. "Total. Stay here. Don't move. And whatever you do, do _not _freak out on me."

I closed my eyes, picturing that super-strong mosquito again, then I opened my eyes to see Total gawking at me. Then I flapped my wings and fluttered over to underneath the door, where there was the tiniest gap. I slipped underneath, then I wondered what to do. Maybe I could fly out of the place we came in through… but then again I could just bust myself out of here, through _this _glass ceiling.

A footstep echoed through the corridor, and I froze.

Another footstep.

I flattened my tiny self against the wall. The footsteps came again, and now I could tell that they belonged not to one person, but to two. The said two appeared at the end of the corridor, and I gritted my now nonexistent teeth. The first person was Lou- _No. _Subject twenty-seven, following faithfully behind a cloaked figure. From the way the deep blue cloak swirled around it, and clung to various parts of its body, I could tell it was a girl. They walked past me, quickly, and I caught a glimpse of blonde hair, and bright blue eyes.

I gulped. _Just like me._

The girl stopped suddenly, mid-step. Subject twenty-seven stopped as well, looking annoyed.

"Anastasia," he said. "What's wrong? Sweetheart?"

_Sweetheart?_ Although I wouldn't admit it, that word sent shivers down my spine… and the fact that he was saying it to another girl… _Aaaaaarrrgh! No. _He wasn't Louis. He was a jerk. He was Subject freaking twenty-seven!

The girl snapped back with a familiar voice. I couldn't remember where I had heard it before… "Tee. I thought I told you not to call me that."

"Why are we stopping, then?"

Her blue eyes scanned the length of the corridor. "I thought I heard something."

_What the heck? _I thought. _This girl's got the ears of a bat! Anastasia… it doesn't ring a bell, though… I wonder who she is. Maybe some random whitecoat?_

Her lips moved. I could barely hear what she was saying, but it sounded like: "No. Not a random whitecoat." I did a double take. _Did she just… did she just? _"Oh yes, I did," Anastasia said. "Now where are you?"

_Okay. Abort plan. Just get out ASAP._

I flitted to the ceiling, and braced myself. I was a super-strong mosquito. A little impact wouldn't kill me.

Down below, the Anastasia girl span around to face Subject twenty-seven.

"She's going to get away!" she yelled. This, honest to God, freaked me out. I had to get everyone out as soon as I could. "Do something, Tee!"

I crashed through the glass, and began flapping my little mosquito wings as fast as they would go. Then I quickly transformed back into Fang, so I could fly quicker. Down below, Anastasia's mouth was moving furiously, ordering Subject twenty-seven to do something. Whatever. I didn't care. I just had one thing on my mind.

Motive: get to Nudge.

* * *

**Total POV**

I suddenly felt giddy. Something was definitely happening. I turned to Angel/Fang, and opened my mouth, but already she/he was fading away. I shut my eyes, remembering Angel's words.

_Whatever you do, don't freak out on me…_

_Relax,_ I told myself. _She'll explain it to me later. I know she will._

Then I opened my eyes.

Something was staring back at me. It looked like a human guy, but with fangs and a strangely long, slender, predator's body.

"Who are you?" I asked, confused. To my surprise, my voice came out like a girl's. A familiar voice. Sounded a bit like Angel's.

The thing blinked. "It's me, Anastasia," he said. _"Tee!"_

"Tea?" I asked. Again that stupid girl voice. Then I brightened. "Really? Thanks. I'll have Jasmine. It's my favorite… got that exotic taste, you know?"

"Tee," he said again. "As in, subject twen_ty-_seven. Are you all right?"

I just nodded. Get this tea person to explain later. Angel had said not to freak out. Then I looked around. All around me was grey rock, apart from a garage-type door there was embedded right behind me. There was no blinding white. No glass.

I let out a relieved sigh. So Angel _had _gotten me out of that place, thank God.

"Okay," I said. "So where's Fang?"

The thing stared at me. _"Fang?"_

"Yeah, you know-"

But I couldn't finish my sentence. Because, all over again, and all too soon, I felt giddy. But not because of the same reason I had felt giddy the last time. This time, it was because it felt as if my eyes had popped out of my head. _I'm finally going loopy, _I thought. _Total's gone crackers._

Because, believe it or not, the tea guy, grinning evilly, had produced something from behind him. And that thing? Yeah, just one problem here. That thing was _me. _My body. I was looking at _me._

I let out a yelp of confusion. Angel had told me not to freak out… but she had also not mentioned freaky tea people and a cave with a garage door.

Then I felt giddy again, a new wave of giddiness rushing over the other. I felt as though… I don't know… I had a super-strong brain freeze topped off with a bad case of an early morning hangover (not that I've, um, ever experienced this). My mind spiraled inside my head, and my eyes rolled shut.

And when I opened them this time, I was in the room again. But I had switched positions. I was in the tea person's hands. He was holding me. I guessed that I was back in my own body. And, in front of me was a girl. A girl who had Angel's flaxen hair, but slightly shorter, in an elegant (and striking) just-below-the-shoulder cut. She had the Gasman and Angel's startlingly blue eyes, framed by thick, long Gasman eyelashes, and Angel's lips. Her skin wasn't light like the Gasman's, wasn't tanned like Angel's… it was an in between color. She grinned at me.

"It's nearly time, little Total," she said. "It's nearly time."

And then she smiled again, smiled with no hint of humor in her eyes, and snapped out a pair of light tawny wings, tinged with specks of gold and white.

"Oh yes, Total," she said. "It's nearly time."

* * *

**Angel POV**

"Oh my God!" Nudge yelled as she saw me. "It's Fang!"

Behind her came a pattering of footsteps, and my big brother emerged. I felt my heart erupt in relief. So Gazzy was also here.

"Fang!" he said. "Hey, Fang!"

I suddenly realized I was still in Fang's body. _I've gotta get Fang back in here and get back to Total, _I thought. _There's still time for explanations, just not now. I'll come back. I'll see Gazzy later. Get Fang back now._

Feeling a huge pang, I closed my eyes and thought of Fang.

I felt my mind stumble back into my own body with a sense of awkwardness, thinking, _Good, at least Fang's now safe back in his own body with Nudge and Gazzy, _gave myself one quick second to get my bearings, then I finally looked around.

No Total.

_Crap. Where the heck has he gone? Have they taken him?_

I went over my options_. One: Mind-swap and get to Total. Get him out of wherever he is. Two: get myself out of where I am then get back to him._

I heard footsteps in the corridor, saw the door handle turning. That pretty much made up my decision. As fast as I could, I pictured that mosquito.

A whitecoat peered in a moment later.

"Freaking hell!" he shouted. "Damn it, they've disappeared! I told them subject eleven was unreliable! The boss is going to be so mad! I'd bet…"

I let his voice fade away to a monotonous drone in the back of my head, fluttering past him out into the corridor. I saw the damage I had done before, and spiraled upwards and out of the cracks in the glass ceiling.

Now. To Nudge, Gazzy and Fang? The thought was hugely tempting. But Total could be in danger. I changed course, heading for a bunch of trees I could see a little distance away. When I had reached them, I perched myself on a branch.

And then I closed my gross little mosquito eyelids and thought of Total.

My first thought was: _where the hell am I?_

I was in some sort of cave, rocky walls with a garage door in the corner. Definitely not where I had left Total. No. Definitely not.

Then I saw who was in the cave-like room with me. Subject twenty-seven. And a girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, tawny wings… The funny thing was, she looked a hell of a lot like me.

So my second thought was: _is she Angel II?_

But then I noticed subtle things. Her wings weren't white, her skin was lighter than mine, her eyelashes thicker and longer, her legs longer…

Then who the heck was she?

"Ah, Tee," the girl said. I suddenly recognized her voice. She was the girl who I'd seen walking down the corridor with Subject twenty-seven earlier today. "Tee, I think Angel is finally with us. Took her long enough."

_Angel?_ So she knew my name. _Her_ name was on the tip of my tongue… I knew it, it just wasn't coming out… God, this was aggravating… _"Anastasia!" _I finally burst out.

She looked slightly bemused. "Yes, my name is Anastasia. I knew you were there when we were walking down the corridor. I heard your thoughts."

"Hold it, hold it, hold it," I said. "Did you just say _you heard my thoughts?"_

_That's _my _skill_, I was thinking. _What the heck does she think she's playing at?_

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Angel. We'll start with introductions." She perched down on the edge of a rock, and gestured for me to sit down as well. Subject twenty-seven put me (still imprisoned in Total's body) down on the ground. I sat. "I'm Anastasia."

"I know that much," I grumbled.

"I'm a human/avian hybrid," she continued. "Just like you. But, unlike you, I've actually got a life. I have parents. Not my real parents, mind, but parents. My parents are amazing people. My mother is known to all as The Superior, and my father is her top scientist. He used to look after me whenever she wasn't around." Here she leant forwards. "My _real _parents sold me when I was a baby."

_Just like me, _I thought.

"Yes, Angel," she said. "Just like you. They also sold another baby at the same time. A twin girl, sold to another organization called The School in California. That girl was also made into a human/avian hybrid. My mother… my _new _mother, The Superior, who my first parents had sold me to, collected information on the girl, my twin. She showed me photographs, statistics. And then, a few years afterwards, she showed me another picture. A picture of a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes just like me. She said that he was my older brother. Older by three years."

I was beginning to catch on. And I didn't like it, not one bit.

"So what?" I snapped, trying to stop my voice from cracking. "What the hell's this got to do with me?"

She dug a hand into the pocket of her jeans, and pulled out a photo. She held it out. Cautiously, I stumbled awkwardly over in Total's four-legged body, and looked at it.

"This was my favorite photograph of my sister," she said. "Taken more than ten years ago."

I recognized the girl in the photograph immediately. _"Max?"_

"No, you moron, down below." So she had a similar temper to me. Didn't mean anything. I looked down to the bottom of the picture.

"Hey, there must be some mistake," I said. "That's-"

"You," she finished. "Angel, you're my twin sister."

"But we don't have the same wings or eyelashes or skin or legs," I blurted out. _No. _I wouldn't believe it. "Don't try to crack a wise one on me."

"Angel, just because we're twins, it doesn't mean we're identical," she said. "Besides, the color of my wings depended on what sort of avian DNA they injected into me. So we're 98% the same, and 2% different. What difference does it make? That's like saying you and Gazzy aren't siblings. That's like saying me and Gazzy aren't siblings."

"_Don't _call him Gazzy," I growled. I'd finally given in. I finally believed she was actually my sister. _I had a sister! _But she was on their side. "People who are close to him call him Gazzy."

"I'd say being blood-related was pretty close," she shot back. All the formal-talk was gone. Now she was just a temper-fuelled teenager.

"Oh, cut the crap," I hissed. "What the heck d'you think you're playing at? Gazzy- the Gasman to you- doesn't even know you exist!"

I had to get Total's body out of here. I envisioned that mosquito, and suddenly I was a tiny black dot in the air.

"Angel," she said, rolling her eyes. "Didn't I tell you we're twins? So we have the same skills. I can breathe underwater, I can hear and control thoughts, I can switch my mind with someone else's, I can morph into things…"

I put a barrier up around my thoughts like I had used to practice. But she wasn't doing anything with my mind, it turned out. A second later, she had disappeared. And, a second later, a wasp appeared next to me.

"Hey Angel," it said. "Morph much?"

I screamed, and set off, flying as fast as I could around the cave. She zipped behind me. Finally, in exhaustion, I transformed, coughing and wheezing, back into Total.

"Angel," said Anastasia, turning back into herself. "I think you'd better meet me at the nearest KFC. It's got a huge red ladybug poster next to the sign. I'm bringing Tee. You can bring someone. See you in ten."

"Bring Total," I growled. "And if you're not there…"

"I will be," she said. "Trust me, Angel, I will be. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

**_Ahhh... drama, drama... Angel and Gazzy have a sister..._**

**_What do you have to say to that? Come on, I know you guys have something...?_**

**_xxx_**


	22. KFC

**_Heyy, sorry for the delay! Fanfic hasn't been working for me lately... (stupid thing wouldn't let me log in), buuuut whatever. ON with the story---_**

**KFC**

I transformed quickly back into myself, before flying, at full speed, down the road. Anastasia had said she'd bring _Tee_, Subject twenty-seven, but, honestly, I didn't have the time to bring anyone of my own. A flashing KFC sign made me skid to a halt (if you can do that in mid-air), and slowly descend, folding my wings into my back. And then, after taking one deep breath, I walked calmly in through the slide-open doors.

I saw them at once. She was perching on the side of a chair, looking as calm as me, and he was giving cautious glances around everywhere. His eyes locked with mine. I shot him a death stare and a grin. _Ooh… hardcore._

"Angel!" Anastasia said, patting the seat next to her as if we were old friends. "I see you didn't bring anyone."

I put on the same false exterior. "No, Stacie," I replied, watching her wince at the nickname. "I really _didn't have time." _And then, when I had sat down, "Where the heck is Total?"

She shot a pointed glance towards Subject twenty-seven, who looked down in his arms. There was a huge bag, with a square-sized, cage-like lump inside. Instantly, all of my calm was gone.

"Give him back right now," I hissed. "And I mean right now, 'cause otherwise I'm gonna-"

"I get it, I get it," she said, leaning across the table to me. "You're gonna beat me up or something? God, Angel, I'm _so _scared. Because, if you don't remember, we have the same skills, you and I. Only mine are slightly more advanced."

"Whatever, Anastasia," I hissed right back. "You think you know a whole load of crap about me, but none of it's true. I am a hell of a lot different to you."

"Oh really?" she whispered. "Um… then did you tell Gazzy about me?"

"That's different," I said. "Way different."

"You know, Angel, I'm hurt," she said. "I'm not evil or whatever you think I am."

"No, you see, that's where you're wrong." My voice began to raise, and startled couples and families around us were beginning to look a little scared. "You are so freaking wrong there. I am good, and you are bad. You are _freaking evil, Anastasia!"_

_Angel… why don't we just chill for a second, huh?_

_Great, _I thought. _Now you're speaking to my freaking mind?_

_I told you we have the same skills. _She sounded kind of smug. And it kind of pissed me off. _But onto the main deal, Angel._

_What deal? We have NO deal, Anastasia._

_You don't even know what it is yet, _she thought back. _It's in exchange for Total… And if you don't cooperate, I could get Tee here to not inject the antidote for the drug which we've given him. We have… half an hour, I think, before the drug kicks in._

I looked at Subject twenty-seven. His eyes were flicking from my face to hers, and from hers to mine. He had no idea about the conversation going on in our heads. It was strange, but I had never felt this sort of connection before with another mind. It was like I'd been watching crappy local television for all my life, then suddenly I'd switched to high-quality plasma screen, surround sound. I looked back at Anastasia, concealing these thoughts of mine. _What drug?_

_Lets just say it's pretty deadly for the non-human species, _she thought. _Now… our deal._

_What the hell d'you want, Anastasia? Just say it._

_I want… _She smiled coyly at me. _I want to meet Gazzy. A one on one session with my elder brother. I'll give you Total when you give me Gazzy. We'll meet right here. KFC. In ten minutes._

My heart sunk. Out of everything she could have chosen… _He'll kick your ass, _was the sentence I finally settled for. _Oh yeah, Anastasia. He'll kick your ass right back to your evil scientist mommy._

_So do we have a deal or what? _She asked, glancing down at the bag in Subject twenty-seven. _I would say yes if I were you. Unless you really didn't care for the dog._

_Fine, Anastasia. _She played dirty, but we were sisters. _But I can play dirty too._

_Show me then. I'd like to see you try._

_And I like a challenge._

_Deal?_

_Yes it's a deal, bitch._

* * *

"Angel!" Gazzy yelled as he caught sight of me.

Nudge and Fang followed him to the edge of the cliff, Nudge smiling, Fang… well… _not _smiling. But then again, how unusual was that?

"Where's Total?" Fang asked me, once I had landed. "Angel?"

"He's…" I began. "Well, he's, um…"

"Angel, Fang told us about your new skill," Gazzy said. "He said that you'd… bring Total, though."

"You see…" I began. "Total's-"

"_Angel!" _Two familiar figures came running out towards me, Max and Iggy. My face broke out into a smile, half because I was so glad to see them, and half because they'd cut me off from my explanations. I hugged them both.

"How did you two get here?" I said. "How did you guys…?"

"We busted ourselves out," Max explained. "God, am I glad to see you, Angel."

"Me too," I said. "And Ig, I missed you like hell."

He smiled. "Missed ya too, Angel."

But Fang wasn't fooled by our little reunion. "Angel," he interrupted. "Why isn't Total here?"

"Well, you see…" I took a deep breath. Might as well cut the crap. "Gazzy, I have a twin. We have a sister."

His mouth dropped open. Everyone went silent.

"We have a… _sister?" _he finally said, his voice cracking. "As in an actual _person?"_

"Well, generally that's what sisters are."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he burst out. "I mean, I have a right to know!"

"I only just found out!" I replied hotly. "And besides, I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

"But Angel…" he said. "What's the… who's…"

"Why doesn't everyone just sit down, and I'll tell you," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. They sat. "Gazzy, her name's Anastasia. She's like us-" They all understood. By _like us, _I meant that she had wings. My voice hardened. "-but she's on _their _side."

The Gasman glanced up at me. "What d'you mean? D'you mean that she's…"

"You know the Superior? The head honcho? The evil lady?" They all nodded. "She called _her _her own mother."

Gazzy's face seemed to go limp. "What did you just…?"

"And I met her just now, in KFC. And she told me…" I winced internally. "Well basically, she has Total and she'll poison him if I don't bring you to meet her. You have to meet her once, then that's it. Kill her, do whatever you like. Just…"

"I want to meet her."

I stared up at him. "You _what?" _

"I want to meet her so I can kick her ass, Angel," he said. "She sounds like a total… I don't know."

My face broke out into a smile. _This _was the Gasman I knew. "And I said that I would… that I would bring you to her in ten," I continued. Everyone was silent. "Oh… crap," I swore. "Oh, _crap!"_

I backed off the cliff side, snapping my wings out. Then I swooped up into the air, motioning for Gazzy to follow me, before turning around. From behind me I heard Max shout 'Angel, wait!' but I kept going. This was between me and Gazzy and that… that… Whatever. Max wasn't going to have anything to do with her. For now.

* * *

"Seven o'clock," I muttered under my breath. The Gasman spun around to look in the direction of same table where Anastasia and I had sat earlier today. She raised a hand in greeting, and smiled. Subject twenty-seven's lip twitched when he saw the exchange. He really was a selfish little jerk, wasn't he? Wanting his Anastasia alone all the time…

_Just so you know, I'm not little._

_Will you stop with the high-quality plasma, please? _I shot back.

_Excuse-me?_

_Oh, forget it._

_Come over and let me meet my brother. _She paused for a second, and, beside me, Gazzy stiffened. _Oops. I already have._

_Why you little-_

The Gasman pulled the sleeve of my shirt, and I looked up at him. His mouth was set in a determined frown, his eyes narrowed.

"Is that her?" he asked. "Is that our sister?"

"Gazzy," I said reassuringly, pushing him gently back the way we came. If he blew up in here… well, the happy families wouldn't like it. "Outside. Now."

"Angel," he growled. "Tell her to come-"

"Gaz," I interrupted. "I bet she already knows."

And, sure enough, behind us Anastasia and Subject twenty-seven were getting up. I noticed he was carrying a huge bag, kind of square-shaped.

_Total?_ I thought.

_What do you think, moron?_

_Cut the crap, Anastasia._

_Huh. _She raised her eyebrows. _Like you can talk. Nice to see we're already fighting like real sisters._

_If Total wasn't on the line-_

_Yes, yes, I know. _She rolled her eyes, and I was startled to see it was an exact imitation of _my _eye-roll. _You'd kick me all the way to next Tuesday._

_I was thinking more along the lines of next century, _I quipped back. _Then I'd never have to see your gross little face again._

_Funny that, Angel, _she thought. _'Cause if you don't remember, I'm your twin sister. We look basically the same. So if my face is gross, what's yours? _For the first time in my life, I was at a loss for words. _How does it feel, Ange?_

_How does what feel, Stace?_

_How does it feel not being able to smart talk your way in and out of everything?_

_I thought I told you to cut the crap._

She didn't answer. I blinked, and looked around. We were already outside. Had I gotten so into that conversation that I'd forgotten my surroundings?

_Yup._

_Shut the hell up! _I thought. _Get out of my freaking head!_

"Angel?" The Gasman was staring down at me. "I want you to fly back to the flock as soon as you get Total and-"

"Gazzy. I've already talked to the girl. Twice. And I went out with that jerk of a boy." I patted his shoulder. "I think I can handle this."

The KFC door slid open, and Anastasia and Subject twenty-seven stepped out. Anastasia was all smiles. Subject twenty-seven was all sneers.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Anastasia, your, uh, sister."

She was doing the shy thing, I suddenly noticed. She was looking up at him from underneath her eyelashes… _Crap! _Was she _flirting _with him? She shot me a quick death stare. So she'd been listening in on my thoughts. Again.

_No, _she thought. _You have one twisted mind, you know that?_

_You suck-up,_ I thought at her. She just smiled an annoying little smile. I gritted my teeth.

The Gasman shifted his weight onto one foot. I looked at him, incredulous. He was _blushing. _"I'm-"

"The Gasman, I know," she said, grinning. He blushed even harder. "Or Gazzy. But Angel said I couldn't call you that because I wasn't close to you."

"I think a blood relation is pretty close," he said.

_I told you so. _Anastasia's voice sailed into my head again. _I can call him Gazzy. _I tried to not let it bother me. Trust me, I tried. But, in the end, I was still the same old Angel.

"So you've met him," I snapped at her. "Now we can go with Total. Okay?"

Gazzy stared at me. "Are you kidding? I kind of want to spend time with her, Angel. Sure, you're my sister, but I've known you for ages. I've only just met our other sis."

It was the _sis _that bothered me. "Well, Gazzy, if I need to remind you again, this is the girl who poisoned Total. _This _is the girl who got us trapped in this place! _This _is the freaking idiot girl who is trying to manipulate-"

"Whoa, Angel," Gazzy said, looking annoyed. "I never knew you were so _violent. _This is our sister, Angel. I have every right to meet her."

"Every right my ass," I shot back. "We are going to leave now, Gazzy. Or did you want to kill her right here, right now?"

"I'm good," he replied. "But if _you _want to go, I'm okay with that. Besides, Anastasia never really meant to do anything to Total, did she?"

"_Yes!" _I yelled, utterly disbelieving. "She poisoned him!"

Anastasia stepped back slightly, an expression of anxiousness on her face. Clever girl. Now it looked like _I _was the crazy, evil one.

"I never poisoned Total," she said to the Gasman. "She must be making it up or something, 'cause Total's fine."

"He's not!" I roared. "He's in that freaking bag!"

I leapt forwards and grabbed the bag out of a very surprised Subject twenty-seven's arms, and emptied its contents onto the ground. And… out came a huge cereal box, the word _Cheerios _plastered on the front. No Total. My mouth dropped open. The Gasman stared.

"Angel, you lied to me," he whispered. "You said that Total was poisoned in that bag… Where the hell is he, anyway? You said that… you said-"

"Total's fine," Anastasia said, and called, "Hey! Total!"

And to my surprise, out from behind a tree came Total, his tail wagging, his dark eyes twinkling… and something pink and wet all around his mouth. _Poison? _Anastasia smirked quietly beside me.

"Look, Gazzy!" I burst out. "There's the poison around Total's mouth! There… _look!"_

The Gasman leaned down, brushed his finger through the gooey pink stuff and brought it to his mouth. And then, before I could say or do anything to stop him, he'd licked it.

_You've poisoned Gazzy too! _I thought at Anastasia._ You're sure gonna pay for-_

"Angel?" came the Gasman's voice. "What did you think this was?"

"Poison!" I shot back. "She just poisoned you!"

"Poison?" His voice was incredulous, and slightly cold. "Yeah, Angel, 'cause people go around all the time poisoning people with _strawberry ice cream."_

Whatever I was about to say didn't come out. _Strawberry ice cream?_

_Yup. _Anastasia told me. _Ben and Jerry's, strawberry cheesecake. Total just loves it. It's my favorite ice cream of all time._

It took all of my self-control not to add that strawberry cheesecake was _my _favorite ice cream of all time.

"Total, are you okay?" I asked instead. I was _not _going to believe anything she said.

"I'm fine, Angel," he said, grinning. "Anastasia was so nice. I thought at first she was a bit weird, but then she started being really nice to me and bought me ice cream and busted me out of that place and-"

I checked his mind.

_-she's just really nice! She even gave me some cookies, too,_

I glared at Anastasia. She smiled sweetly back.

_So it seems like I'm the true Angel, sis, _came her voice. _I'm the Angelic one._

Gazzy's voice broke through the silence.

"So, Anastasia, you coming?"

It seemed like the whole world was against me in one big, stupid game.

_Life is a game, _Anastasia thought, then followed the Gasman up into the sky. _You just gotta learn to deal with it._

_I am dealing! _I snapped back.

_No, Angel. You're just taking the shortcuts._

**_Sooo... was that chapter worth a couple of reviews???????_**

**_Please say YES._**


	23. Family Over Friends

**_I think that I'm gonna have to apologize from my crappiness at updating EVERY SINGLE TIME. Because it's true. We all know it. And I'm sorry._**

**_So... enjoy!_**

**Family over friends**

"_Sooo," _said Max, coming down beside me, with Fang. "A sister, huh?"

"An evil witch, actually," I corrected.

She laughed. "Is she really that bad? Angel, she's your _twin."_

"Whatever," I said. "That doesn't mean I have to _like _her." Then I looked around. "Where're the rest of the flock?"

Fang spoke up. "They – "

"Nudge can't fly with that monster belly, and so Iggy's staying with her," Max cut in. "I guess we're pretty much past the whole abortion thing now."

"What?"

"We… It's too late, Angel." She sighed. "The baby's too old, and we'd be risking a whole lot more than its life now… Nudge's, too."

"How old is it?" I asked.

"You saw Juno, right?" she said. I nodded. "Well, let's just say, the guy-chick's got more than just _fingernails, _now. Nudge thinks she's about six months and a bit in."

"_Six months?" _I burst out.

"Yup. She's been keeping the whole thing secret until this one day when Gazzy said she looked like she was getting pretty fat. I guess human kids are much bigger than mutant ones, or something, because she wasn't _really _that fat. Only fatter than we'd expect…" said Max. "She kind of went really quiet and told us. We went ballistic."

I glanced over at Fang. He'd always been a quiet guy, but I'd never seen him like this… so silently _angry. _He was cool and composed on the outside like he always had been, but on the inside… I could see his dark eyes flashing from time to time, could practically _hear _his mind whirring. That was ironic. I nearly laughed out loud. Then I checked his thoughts.

_What did I do wrong? Why isn't she talking to me all of a sudden? She's just been ignoring me ever since she got out of that place… _

I wondered who this _she _was.

_Fang? Who're you thinking about?_

He froze, but in that second, I saw his gaze flicker over to Max.

_MAX? _I practically screamed.

_Shh! Shut up! Just talk to her… she's getting suspicious._

I looked at her. Sure, she wasn't smiling anymore, but… Oh, okay. She'd just glared at him with a look that could kill off a dozen Erasers.

_Yeah, she's… suspicious, _I confirmed. _Okay, I'll talk. But you've got to tell me._

_Later._

_Now, _I shot back.

_Fine, _he growled.

"Max," I continued innocently. "So she's having the kid?"

Images of Max ignoring Fang shot through my mind. _You see? She's pretty much acting like I don't exist._

"Yup," said Max. We both jumped, then realized she was answering my question. "She's gonna have this guy-chick."

"Any ideas on names?" I asked.

_And I don't even know why, _Fang went on. _I haven't done anything to her, Angel! And when I tried to kiss her_ – I winced slightly here – _she just walked away… I mean, what's up with that?_

"I don't know," Max said, making us flinch again. "And I don't really care. Whatever she wants to call the thing, she can call it."

_Fang, _I thought. _I'm gonna check her mind._

"Anyway," she was saying, but I tuned out.

Max's mind, even after ten years and being locked up in a hellhole, was familiar to me. I shifted through her recent memories, checking for anything that might be to do with Fang.

_Ah, _I thought, glimpsing a Fang-coloured lock of hair. _Okay. This could be it._

I thought PLAY, and the memory began to play, complete with surround sound and – and – Instantly, I pulled away from her mind, thinking _gross! Gross… EW! _It hadn't been a memory, after all. It was a… a _fantasy._ I suddenly saw Max in a completely different light.

_Found anything yet? _asked Fang.

_Nope, _I lied. _Nothing yet. I'll check._

I cautiously went through Max's mind again, checking through more recent memories, and one particularly strong one bubbled up all of a sudden. I tasted something bitter in the back of my mouth. I thought PLAY.

The memory began to play, and I nodded to myself. This must be the reason why… I saw the Superior talking about Nudge, saying that they knew the father… that he was silent, invisible, snappish to those he didn't like… Max's thoughts had immediately turned to Fang. It was only normal. Max and Fang's relationship had always been a bit… shaky,so it was no wonder that she was slightly _overprotective _of him. It was her natural instinct. She'd grown up being overprotective… of herself, of our possessions, but most of all, the flock. And now, Fang. But she thought Fang was the father of Nudge's guy-chick.

I shook myself back into reality, to Max going, "ANGEL? _Angel, _snap out of it! Angel???"

I looked at her, slightly dazed. "Yeah?"

"So I was saying, about the Erasers…"

_I can handle this, _I thought quickly to Fang. _Just do me one favour._

_Yeah?_

_Keep your ass out of my genius._

And out of the corner of my eye, I saw him scowl. I smiled.

"You know Nudge's kid, Max?" I said.

"Um, yeah I do," she answered. "But whatever, Angel. We're talking about the – "

"Did I tell you? I can _read its mind!" _I burst out, grinning.

"Seriously?

"Yeah," I said. "And, obviously, Nudge's, as well. And you _wouldn't believe _who the father is, Max."

She stiffened. "Actually, I have a pretty good idea."

"I know," I said. "I couldn't believe _Iggy _of all people would – "

"Hold it, hold it," said Max, holding up a hand and looking floored. "Who said anything about _Iggy?"_

"He's the dad, Max." I feigned innocence. "I thought you knew."

"_Iggy's _the dad?" she screeched. "He is _sooo _busted. When we get back, Fang, I'm gonna whoop his ass so hard that – "

_WE? _Fang thought. _Angel, I think that YOU'VE got some miracle-worker genes in you, too. She's actually talking to me again. Okay. Calm, Fang._

_Deep breath, Fangster, _I chuckled.

And, for once, he didn't get mad at me.

* * *

I heard her long before they actually came into view, though, when they did, it almost killed me. Gazzy and Anastasia were grinning- _no, _worse than that- they were _laughing _with each other. Total had left God-knows-how-many hours ago, as had Subject twenty-seven. Then they touched down beside me.

"Angel! _Jelly!_" the Gasman slurred, grinning. "I had no idea we had such a cool sister. _Ever. _She. Is. _Hilarious." _

With that, he cracked up again. I glowered at both of them.

_So, Stacey, you brought my brother back DRUNK??? _I thought.

_Jelly, _she thought back, and I winced at the nickname, _just because you've never seen him this happy, doesn't mean he's drunk._

_Are you kidding? He's not HAPPY, you freak. _We were back on insult terms, now, rather than first-name terms. _I've seen him drunk. And now? He's completely wasted! Smashed! Pissed! High! Potted!_

_Wow, _she breathed. _Angel, you amaze me with your huge vocabulary. I never knew you could say the word 'drunk' in so many ways…_

_Spare me the theatrics, buster, _I hissed. _Just give me back my brother – _

_OUR brother, _she reminded me.

_Whatever. Just give him back and go back to whatever grave you crawled out of._

_Just 'cause we're twins, Angel, it doesn't mean we BOTH crawled out of graves. But since I'm so nice, shall I go past the cemetery for you and tell the zombies that you're not coming back tonight? Having a sleepover in… _She looked me up and down. _Rags?_

_Beats what you spend every day in, whitecoat, _I fired back.

_Don't try and cover it up, Angel, because whatever you say, Gazzy – _We both looked at him. He was still laughing. – _likes me. A hell of a lot. So tonight, while you're lying there, staring at the stars in your rotting little grave, he'll be thinking of me and how much fun we had. I'm gonna be in your life now, Angel. We're twins. We can't stay away from each other._

_We can sure as hell try, _I snapped. _So bye now, y'old cow._

_Why don't we make the choice if I should stay or not Gazzy's choice?_

_People don't make choices when they're pissed, Anastasia, _I thought._ Except for maybe whether they want to throw up in their drink or their handbag. And they usually end up picking the fifty million dollar handbag… because they're DRUNK. Or because it's closer, whatever. Which is exactly my point, Anastasia. You can't expect him to choose whether you can stay or not when he's completely screwed sideways._

_Screwed sideways? _She raised an eyebrow.

Then she turned to the Gasman. "Gazzy?" she asked. "Angel thinks I should leave now, so… I guess, maybe…"

Gazzy instantly stopped laughing. "So, ntay," he pleaded.

I glanced at her. _Screwed sideways, _I thought.

She rolled her eyes.

"I mean," he quickly corrected, "No, _stay. _You can… stay with us… forever."

I internally groaned. _For-freaking-ever?_

"Forever," he agreed with himself, nodding vigorously. "Stay with us. I want you to _stay, _Stazey baby."

This time _I _raised _my _eyebrow. _Stazey baby?_

_Oh, shut your gob._

"Annie, _stay,_" he slurred. "With us. With the flock."

"Are you sure?"

_Are those TEARS in your eyes? _I thought. _Aw, Stazey baby's CRYING. AWWWWWWW. How cute._

She ignored me. It was understandable. "With the flock? Are you sure they won't mind?"

_Well, generally, the flock doesn't like strange, evil people, _I thought. _Normal people suit us just fine, thanks._

"Well, maybe, then," she said. "I'd love to stay."

Gazzy's eyes lit up. "Oh, _Stazey!"_

Then his face went green – literally – and he puked all the contents of his stomach into the bush next to him.

Well, at least it was a bush and not someone's fifty million dollar handbag.

* * *

I sped back to the flock ASAP, but the Gasman and Anastasia were pretty much right behind me. Pretty much.

"Max!" I yelled. "Fang! Nudge! Iggy!"

They all came out, looking confused.

"Gazzy's bringing her," I said. "She's coming."

It seemed like Max and Fang had told Nudge and Iggy about how I felt about Anastasia, because their jaws dropped open.

"She's _coming?" _Nudge burst out. "The… the evil witch?"

So apparently they had told them word for word. I nodded.

"Yup, and Gazzy loves her or something," I said. "She's got him feeding out of the palm of her hand."

"Angel –" began Iggy, but he was interrupted because just then, Anastasia and Gazzy landed.

"Hi," Anastasia said shyly. "I'm, um, Anastasia, Gazzy and Angel's sister…"

Nudge looked at her kindly, Iggy still looked a touch confused, Fang looked… expressionless (which was normal) and Max's narrowed eyes blinked. I felt like shouting at them. She was doing the whole shy thing again.

_Just get out of here, okay? _I thought at her.

_No freaking way._

Right at that moment, she sounded so much like me that I did a double take. But she _wasn't _like me, I thought furiously. She was the evil look-alike of me.

_Evil look-alike? _A grin flashed across her face so quickly that only I noticed it. _Puh-lease, Angel._

"Hey," Nudge said, smiling.

I glowered at her.

"I'm Nudge," said Nudge. "Nice to meet you."

"You're the pregnant one," stated Anastasia, smiling back.

Max stared at the Gasman. What else had he told her?

"Yeah, pregnant…" Nudge trailed off.

"Good for you!" Anastasia laughed. "When's the beautiful baby due?"

I listened to Nudge's thoughts. _The beautiful baby? That's the first compliment anyone – apart from Iggy – has said anything nice about my baby. I think I might even start to like –_

_NUDGE! _I shouted.

"Maybe a few months," replied Nudge hastily. "But, um, we don't really know, because of the whole mutant thing… it could be different."

"Yeah," said Anastasia. "And have you thought of names?"

"Dynamite for a boy," she said. "Sunny for a girl."

"Or guy-chick," said Max, grinning.

_Are you KIDDING me? _I thought at no-one in particular. _Even MAX seems to like her…_

_I'm pretty likeable, _thought Anastasia. _Except to you._

_And the flock'll choose me over you any day, _I thought. _Remember that._

_Oh, I don't know, _thought Anastasia. _They might think that separating me from you or Gazzy would be really bad for all of us, since we're long-lost siblings and all._

_Get over yourself, _I snarled.

_Well, that's what Max thinks, anyway._

_MAX?_

_You heard me. _She grinned. _Your darling Maxie._

**_And... the plot thickens. Green button. There. I need to know what you think... Review!!!_**


	24. Treachery

**_Maybe in this chapter you _might_ just find out why Angel's wings keep getting tired... Maybe. Or maybe not. Read on!_**

**Treachery**

So this is what hell felt like.

I scowled in the corner of the cave, watching them all _bond._

Bond.

Like freaking five-year-olds. Right now, Anastasia was doing an impression of somebody famous. I didn't know who it was. I didn't really care. And then Nudge's hand was in the air, she was bouncing up and down –

She yelled a name. Anastasia beamed. Everybody laughed.

Apart from me.

I looked away. I didn't feel like dealing with anymore of her _'I'm so amazing' _crap right now. I stood up. No one noticed. Turning around, I stepped further into the cave.

Instantly, I felt my heart crash out of my chest. The air left my lungs in a _whoosh. _I wanted to scream, felt my mouth tear open… but nothing came out. There had been no ground where I'd stepped. It was just… _air. _I freefell down, down, down. And then my wings flew open, and I felt them wrench me to a stop. My mouth wrenched open in a silent scream. That had been a bad idea. Never unfurl suddenly when freefalling.

I stared up.

_What was that?_

I flapped my wings a few more times, propelling myself back up to the cave, wondering what on earth –

Then it happened again. All too soon, I felt myself tiring. My wings were burning, now. I thought I heard screams from somewhere above me… in the cave. They were shouting someone's name. Not mine. Anastasia's. I heard the Gasman. He sounded terrified. _Worried _terrified.

My eyes blurred shut, my wings froze, and I began my fall again.

* * *

"Get up, you lazy scrap."

I stirred, and, feeling one side of my face suddenly erupt in pain, moaned. A stiletto heel came hurtling towards me, and I flinched as it struck again.

"I said _get up."_

Another kick to the head. I groaned and sat up. Then instantly, I was awake, staring in horror at the face before me.

"You… _you–" _I spluttered.

"Yes, me," The Superior snarled back. "Trying to get away won't do you much good, Angel."

I suddenly felt defiant. Anyone who ever said anything to me would get some sort of a retaliation. It was just part of my messed-up DNA.

"And why's that?" I hissed.

"We have a… secret weapon on our side," she said with a sly smile. "The Flock might be able to escape it… but never _you."_

"Oh, puh-_lease," _I scoffed. "A secret weapon? Honey, the only weapon you've got around here is your ugly pal 27. And guess what? I managed to _get away from him."_

And – shock horror – she just scoffed right back at me. "Angel, if only you knew."

Her words took me by surprise, but I did everything I could to hide it. "Whatever," I said, dragging the word out into two _long _syllables. "You know, Superior, do you honestly not know how bad a liar you are? Because when you do, your voice goes all weird. Just like this. _We have a secret weapon on our side," _I imitated in a ridiculously high-pitched voice. _"You'll never escape it, Angel…"_

"Think whatever you want, Angel," she said coolly, turning around to leave. "But I really wonder… did you never think about how your wings get so _tired _so often?"

"Hey!" I burst out. "How did you…?"

But she was already gone.

* * *

_Did you never wonder how your wings get so tired so often?..._

Her voice still rang in my head. Gritting my teeth, I tried to think up the possibilities. So far, I could think of none.

"Maybe they injected something into me other than bird DNA at birth," I muttered to myself. "Some kind of controlling device…"

It was unlikely, but then, suddenly, I remembered that microchip Max had had inside her arm… How she had tried to cut it out on that beach. I shook the memory from my head.

"There's some super-evolved remote control that they can use on me?"

_No, _I quickly contradicted myself. _Now my imagination's just running away with me. Besides, they would've used it sooner if that WAS the case._

She had said something else, too. Something about the fact that the flock could escape it, but _I _couldn't…

So that brought me back to the whole injection/microchip idea.

I groaned. I wasn't going anywhere. I thought I'd escaped, but now I was stuck again in this hellhole. The School's evil sibling.

_Just like Anastasia…_

I suddenly sat bolt upright, with one thought spinning through my mind. Could _Anastasia _have something to do with this? She was, after all, my _twin. _I felt sick as I remembered our connection.

_Good TV signal… _I recollected bitterly. _Because we're so _connected. _And now maybe she's the one making me tired all the time… controlling me. And… and I'm the only one who knows about her, what she's really like! She's got the flock all feeding out of her perfect little hand, and they have no idea... Crap, crap, crap! Oh, mother of all craps! And when…. When I fell, I heard her scream… something had happened to _her, _as well… __What I wouldn't give for a gap under this door. I was beginning to like mosquitoes. All they've got under this door is _rubber. _Rubber. What the heck am I going to do? Anas-freaking-stasia is going to –_

At that moment, I heard a scream. A scream muffled by the soundproof room, but somehow I could hear it. My instincts told me it was close by. My instincts also told me I was suddenly getting a heck of a good signal.

_Good TV signal._

Was it… Anastasia?

I frowned. No. It couldn't be. She had been with the flock. How come –

Another piercing scream.

Suddenly the air left my lungs all at once, and my own mouth opened, gaping, screaming. I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I looked down. Nothing.

The Superior walked in then, and, seeing me collapsed on the floor, raised her eyebrows. She mumbled something to herself, something about a close range…

_Close range? What's she on about?_

"Angel," she said. "How are you?"

"Um, let me see," I began coldly. "I'm hurting all over, I've been taken from my family, I feel like _crap… _Oh, and one more thing, probably the worst. I'm talking to _you."_

"Lovely." She smiled. I felt like decking her. "So did you work out an answer to my little question?"

"That's for me to know, sunshine." I think she _may _have detected the sarcasm. "What d'you think?"

"I think you _think _you know," she snapped back. "Cocky little shits usually do."

And, without giving me any time to answer, she left again.

A _cocky little shit? _I felt like laughing. Finally I'd made her snap.

It was no more than a second later that I heard a scream again. And by now, I had worked out that the soundproof room really _was _soundproof. I was actually hearing the scream in my head. But… I knew that if the room wasn't soundproof, I'd be able to hear it too. As if my mind was just skipping over the whole soundproof thing. If that made any sense.

I gasped as I felt my cheek burn. Like I'd been slapped around the face, hard. Then I fell to the floor again with a shudder, as I felt something pulse through me. I spasmed in pain. It brought back a whole flood of memories. The Electricity Room. I heard a scream, and let out a scream myself, my eyes rolling back into my head, shuddering.

But how could this be happening?

My eyes fluttered open, and around me all I saw were concrete walls. My hair wasn't singed like it had been then, my body perfectly untouched... So why was I feeling this?

Another spasm. Another scream.

Then, as clear as if it were right beside me, I heard a silent plea for help.

_Angel! Angel, I'm sorry…_

And I knew right then it was Anastasia.

* * *

**Max POV**

"Shut the hell _up!"_

But the Gasman was too far gone.

"Are you _kidding _me with this?" he shouted. "First Anastasia goes all funny and blank-eyed and then Angel disappears… then when we wake up, Anastasia's gone too… I just got them back! My two siblings! And then – then they're _both _gone… in the space of, what, twelve hours?" He paced the cave. "Max! Do something!"

Why was it that when anything was wrong, they all turned to me. Gawd, I know it's all flock-leader and all, but they're freaking _adults _now. I don't see why they can't just –

"MAX!" the Gasman roared.

I glared at him. "I'm trying to figure something out. Just _shut _your trap."

Nudge was sobbing. Ugh. Stupid hormones.

"A-Angel," she blubbered. "A-and A-Anastasia… Oh no… _P-please _no…"

Iggy was trying desperately to calm her down. "Nudge. Shh. We'll find them. Max will find someway of getting them both back."

Again with the leadership.

Fang was the only one who wasn't making any noise. But was that normal?

_Yes._

I fumed. It wasn't only them who were hurting. Angel was my baby. Granted, she was sixteen now, but she was still my baby. Forever. My little sister more, maybe, but years and years of looking after someone doesn't wear off easy.

"I think…" I began uneasily. Everyone kept talking, shouting, sobbing. Well, that is, apart from Fang. _"Shut it!"_

Instant silence.

"I have some idea of where they both are," I said. "But I'm probably wrong."

"You're never wrong, Max," Gazzy complimented, looking hopeful.

"Let me correct myself," I said. "I really _hope _I'm wrong."

Silence again. Stupid silence. It meant something was coming. Something most probably _bad._

"The School," Iggy said, and it came out as more of a statement than a question. "Or whatever that place was that they took us to."

Nudge looked up, brown eyes glistening.

"No…" she breathed. "Not that god-awful place."

"I _think _so," I said. "Where else could they be?"

"Angel sure as hell wanted to come back to us," Iggy said. "Why would she leave so easily?"

My eyes suddenly flew open, and her voice echoed in my head.

_An evil witch, actually…_

She hadn't been joking, herself. She'd said it with a completely straight face.

And then my voice swirled around my head, when Anastasia had asked what the baby's name would be. I had grinned. _Grinned. _I'd _liked _her.

_Or guy chick, _I had said laughingly.

I had a fleeting image of Angel's face, then. She looked shocked. Mortified. Then she'd looked furious.

She hated her twin sister. She thought of her as the enemy. The freaking _antichrist!_ Or, more appropriately, the anti-Angel. The anti-flock.

And we, the flock, her _family, _had welcomed her in with open arms.

"I can think of one reason," I answered dryly.

Iggy stared up at me, looking horrified. "Sorry, what?"

"Really?" whispered Nudge, one hand on the curve of her belly.

"Oh, yes."

The Gasman spoke. "We should go save them, then."

"Not all of us," I quickly said. "Nudge, I love you, which is why you're staying here with Iggy. You're _huge. _Iggy… you're the best out of all of us for looking after her… actually, I take that back. You were the one who got her _pregnant!" _At his guilty look, I smiled. "I was _kidding, _Ig. Take a joke."

He mock-saluted. "I'll do my best."

Nudge looked annoyed. "I'm not a _child, _Max."

"No, I know," I said with a genuinely straight face. "You're an _elephant."_

"Thanks," she huffed.

My lip twitched. "Anytime."

"Shall we go, then?" The Gasman was already unfurling his wings. "Let's _go…"_

We slipped off the edge of the cliff and soared up into the air.

**_Get ready for another bust-out in chapter 25... or will they all get caught and locked up? Review what you think, whatever you think, and I will be happy :)_**


	25. Revelation

**_New chapter. Finally._**

**_Sorry for the hold-up!!! Read and review. Make my day. Pretty please???_**

**Revelation**

_Spasms of pain rock my body. I don't even know whether I'm conscious or not anymore. My eyelids are shut, but I can still see throbbing imprints of images in bright white. The Superior – the one I had once called my mother – has gone, but my father… no, not my father… that _whitecoat. _That's what the flock call them, called me, once… a whitecoat. And I had thought before that I was part of them. But now they've put me in this room, a room I have always seen from the outside, and they're treating me like an animal… worse, a tool. Just an object to be used._

_I taste the rusty, bitter tang of blood in my mouth, and wonder why. It takes all of my strength to feel for my jaw, to try to find out why… Ah. Right. The pain had been so great that I'd bitten my lower lip too hard, and split it open._

_I scream again; my throat is getting hoarse._

_I hear more noises. Groans, whimpers, the fizz of my singed hair becoming charged again and again with pulses of electricity… I hear something else, too. The voice of the one who used to be my mother. I force my eyes open, and see through a blurry sheen of tears that she is back. She is _smiling. _Freaking smiling. I feel a white-hot wave of rage rush through me, clouding the pain for just one delicious second. Then it's back, and the force of it makes me collapse on the floor, quivering._

_How dare she smile._

_My eyelids feel like rocks – no, boulders – but I somehow manage to open them once more, and I see her hand flash through the air, coming down onto a red button._

_The iron rods all around the room burn white._

_My mouth doesn't open fast enough to scream._

I finished the scream for her. Anastasia.

I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that she was alive. Unconscious, of course, and severely injured, but nevertheless, alive. I could feel her spark, her unique taste, still there in my head. It meant one thing, and although I considered her my enemy, I felt _glad. _Glad that she was alive.

_No, _I quickly told myself. _No, no, no. A thousand times no. She's part of them. She's a whitecoat. If she's the link – and I really don't doubt that she is, now – between me and my wings getting so 'tired' and malfunctioning so often, then she can probably control other aspects of me. Not my mind, obviously, or else she would have done that sooner, but my more physical aspects. She probably just fed those images… those thoughts… to me right now via our link, to try and soften me up. Yup. That sounds about right._

In my mind, another little voice burst out, _But then why did they capture her as well?_

_Because, _the opposing side said, _they wanted to make it more realistic._

_Realistic? That was no feed! That was really happening, Angel, and you know it!_

_I don't_ _know anything for certain anymore!_

_But remember what you heard. Remember!_

Anastasia's voice echoed throughout my mind. _Angel! Angel, I'm sorry…_

_That was also a feed! It must've been, _the opposing side roared. _She is NOT nice! She's an evil, scheming first-class B-I-T-C-H!_

_Right. So we know you can spell bitch. What else. How about you're W-R-O-N-G?_

_Wrong? No. Never. Remember how she was? She's the complete opposite of me, and the complete opposite of what the flock – and Gazzy – think she is!_

_Angel. You've got to admit sometimes that you're wrong. People can change._

_Not in, what, two days? A day and a half?_

_Yes, they can! If it's really strong!_

_If _what's _really strong?_

_The… the people who make them change!_

_Oh, quit it. You're just _so _convincing._

_Shut up, shit-face._

_Crap brain, _the other side fired back._ She's evil._

_YOU quit it. She's not._

_She is._

_Remember how you felt? You were _glad _that she's alive! Glad! That means you like her. That means you want her to stay alive._

_I don't give a crap whether she's killed or not. Besides, it was a FEED!_

_Give it up! You've lost. Anastasia's not perfect, but she's a good person at heart. I'm guessing that the whitecoats fed these little lies to her, you know, ever since she was little, and when they said by capturing you and the Gasman and the flock, she'd be able to meet her family, she probably would have!_

_WHY?_

_Because she probably really wanted to meet you! If you found out you had a twin sister and a brother, wouldn't you?_

_Not if my twin sister was a jerk._

_You know what I mean._

_Fine. Maybe. But then explain this. Why was she so freaking EVIL to me?_

_Uh, maybe because you were so freaking evil to HER?_

_I was NOT!_

_You WERE!_

_I was NOT!_

_You WERE!_

_Was not!_

_Were!_

_Was not!_

_Were!_

_Was NOT!_

_WERE!_

And the battle raged on.

* * *

I tried it. Of course I did. The very next… I guess it was the very next hour – though it seemed like freaking years – I pictured that super-strong mosquito in my head, then sent a mental message to all the whitecoats outside in range. _Get to Angel now. Angel. The mutant human/avian hybrid. Subject eleven. Go! Something's happened! _Then I flew up to the side of the door and waited, my tiny heart thrumming with anticipation.

I heard fast footsteps outside in no matter of time, then someone typing in the code, and the buzz of the electronics as it was accepted. The door burst open, to show three whitecoats, eyes scanning the room. Their expressions were wild. I grinned, and darted past them.

The corridor was long, deserted… I smiled. _Perfect. _I began to catapult my teensy, tiny body down it as fast as it would go, when I felt a shiver of something – _electric – _pass through me. My antennae buzzed; my wings were singed at the tips. Whoa. Head rush. I shook myself back into reality.

_What in the deepest-reeking-Eraser-infested-pits-of-hell was that?_

It only took a fraction of a second for that thought to whiz through my mind, but in that fraction of a second, I realized that I had gravitated towards the room where the electricity was coming from. _Whoa, _I warned myself a second time. _No WAY. Remember that place?_

In a flash, it all came rushing back. How the Superior had said that Max had been there… "_The rest of the flock have all participated"… _The images of Total… _A small black dog was quaking on the same floor I was standing on now, jerking around and shuddering, as tremor after tremor of electricity was sent jolting across the room. I saw a flash of his face. It was empty; his eyes were dark and pained, his mouth was dripping with saliva as he gave in to the torture – he looked just like a rabid dog… _Fang… _I saw a dark head of hair, and dark eyes. Fang. I saw his gritted teeth, and the pain flash across his eyes as the electricity coursed through him, and he was thrown back across the room with a sickening thud. They must have given him a higher voltage. The electricity came again, and again, but he was silent. Blood was trickling down his face, but he still hadn't said a word. Then, finally, I saw an increased voltage; saw him shudder, fly across the room, crash into the glass wall; then I heard him cry out. I heard_ Fang _cry out. I heard _him_ scream… _And the begging, the complete contradiction of saying just before that I was strong, strong enough to withstand anything… _"P-please…s-stop… I…P-please just …s-stop…"_

It all came to a screeching end as quickly as it had begun. I hovered there, shaking, wondering what to do.

In the end I did the stupid thing. Of course I did. I _always _did the stupid thing. You should know that by now.

* * *

**Max POV**

"Total," I said. "Shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

He didn't shut up. The trouble is, when people grow up, they generally think they're allowed to not listen to me. Yeah? Well, they're _wrong._

"Shut up!"

And… you guessed it. Did anyone shut up? No. Not one.

There was Total, scrambling around everywhere, being – as usual – overdramatic; Nudge was sobbing her eyes out, being all huge and hormonal, with Iggy comforting her; Fang was striding across the cave, the only one not breathing a word; The Gasman, though, was the worst. If Nudge was being hysterical – and she's freaking pregnant – Gazzy was being… I don't know, out-of-this-world hyper-hysterical. There were freaking _tears _streaking down his cheeks. Fang and Iggy were both shooting him _Gawd, guy, pull yourself together; you're embarrassing all of us… Macho, Gasman, MACHO. Do NOT cry about this. Just… cry in your mind, 'kay? _looks.

"…Both of them, in one night," he was saying. "Aw, crap… What could've happened? It was the School, wasn't it? Or whatever that place is… What are we gonna do?"

It was Nudge who finally did it. She glanced over at me, caught my irritated gaze, and hollered, "Everybody, shut the crap up!"

Immediate silence. Fang stood, frozen, mid-step, and the Gasman's mouth was half-open. No-one wanted to pick a fight with a hormonal, nearly seven-months pregnant Nudge. Not if they wanted to live, that is.

"Listen to Max," she said. "She'll tell us what to do. She always does."

Everyone's heads swiveled over to me. I was instantly all-business.

"So. Anastasia and Angel are gone. No-one knows where, although we can all guess. What do we know for sure? They disappeared together. I think that –" Angel's voice ran through my mind. _An evil witch, actually… _" – maybe Anastasia had something to do with it."

"_What?"_ Gazzy roared.

I glared at him. "No interruptions."

His face went bright red, and a muscle twitched in his jaw, but he didn't say anything else.

"She was a whitecoat two days ago. Just 'cause she's your sister, it doesn't mean she's your friend. She could've been acting this all along, Gazzy. I'm really sorry, but she's probably been working for them all along. So I'm guessing that she left, taking Angel with her… and they're both at that School-place now."

The Gasman looked as if he were about to faint. "What…?"

"I said –"

"It makes sense," said Fang. "I agree with you, Max."

Gazzy instantly rounded on him. "Well, 'course you would, wouldn't you? You guys being lovers and everything. You'll probably be spawning off kids soon, just like Ig and Nudge."

Nudge's cheeks flamed red. "What did you say?" she snarled. "Gasman…"

"Gaz, that was _way _out of order," I said. "You can't just _say _that."

"Well I just _did, _didn't I?" he snapped back. "Who cares? It's what I think; I'm just being honest."

"You really think that me and Iggy _spawned, _do you?" shrieked Nudge, planting two hands on his chest and pushing roughly. Gazzy stumbled back a couple of steps. Her voice became a shriek. "You think we _spawned?"_

"Yeah," he fired back. "You're just too full of fat hormones to realize it."

"Fat hormones…?" she whispered. Then she blew up. "Oh, that's it, Gazzy. _Fat hormones? _How freaking _dare _you? _FAT HORMONES? _I'm gonna pummel your sissy ass back to the sixties, if you don't just –"

"Guys!" I yelled. "Shut up! Stop trying to kill each other, and _listen to me. _Nudge, _stop!"_

She stepped away from him, chest heaving. Gazzy was holding a hand to his bleeding nose.

"She hit me," he said. "Nudge, _you hit me!"_

Roaring, he pitched himself back at her, aiming a kick at her. She stumbled out of the way just in time, but –

"GAZZY!" she shouted. "You broke my freaking _nail!"_

Then she suddenly stiffened, and fell back into Iggy's arms.

"What's wrong?" he asked desperately. "Was it Gazzy? Was it…?"

She blinked twice, then looked up at him. She finally spoke in a quiet voice. "I think I just pissed my pants… or…"

"Crap," Iggy muttered. "Not now… Holy shit."

The Gasman paled. "Was it me? Was it because of me? Did she piss her pants because of me? Aw, God, Nudge, I'm sorry –"

"You moron!" Iggy yelled. "She didn't piss her pants! She's in _labor. _She's going to _give birth."_

The Gasman echoed Iggy's colorful choice of words.

My head was whirling. What was I going to do? First Angel and Anastasia, then Nudge? Jeez. We really were a messed-up bunch of people. Mutants. Whatever.

You see? This is what happens when the legendary Maximum Ride's mind goes into overdrive. Angel witnesses this regularly.

_Anyway._

"SHUT UP!" I bellowed, both at the Flock and the Voice. "Right. Everyone listen to me. Do _exactly _what I say. Fang, Gazzy, you two go to Anastasia and Angel. Me and Iggy will stay here and help Nudge." At that moment, the said mutant let out an ear-splitting scream, clutching her sides. "Go. _Hurry."_

Fang and Gazzy's wings snapped out, and they zoomed off. I settled down next to Iggy, giving him directions. We managed to lay Nudge down just as she let out another piercing shriek.

God. Labor. Birth. Telepaths going missing.

My life really _was _a load of drama.

**_Oh.... drama, drama, drama. So. Is it worth a couple of reviews??? _**


	26. Sisters

**_So. Been a while, hasn't it? How have you all been??? Here's the latest chapter.... hope, as always, it's okay. Anyway. Enough of me._**

**_READ ON!_**

**26. Sisters**

She was lying on the floor, wings all in cinders, eyes fluttering shut. As I darted in, leftover sparks fizzed in my antennae, and I shuddered, trying to concentrate.

_Anastasia, _I thought, as loudly as I could. _ANASTASIA!_

No response.

I flew over to her as quietly as I could, trying not to attract any attention from the whitecoats in the surveillance lab. She moaned.

_Anastasia! _I thought again. _Wake the hell up! Ana-freaking-stasia! I need you to get up. NOW!_

From the lab came the Superior's voice. "It's unconscious. Wake it up."

"How?" asked a whitecoat. "Should we…?"

"Just give it four hundred volts," she snapped. "And hurry it up. I'm getting old over here."

I braced myself, then a thought crossed my mind. _Could… could this mosquito body handle four hundred volts?_

The iron rods flashed. The answer came quickly. _No. _I squeezed my eyes shut, and a moment later, an elephant, clutching Anastasia in its trunk, stumbled towards the door as electricity coursed through the room.

Yeah? And that elephant?

Oh, good, you guessed.

Yep. That was me.

The Superior's eyes popped out of her head, just like in one of Gazzy's old comic books.

"_Get them!" _she screamed, pointing at us. "Did you hear me? _Get them! _NOW!_"_

Oh, God. I stifled a laugh. She was _so _like a comic book bad guy.

"_G-GET THEM!" _Her cheeks were bright red; hair all over the place; eyes freaking _bulging._

Just like Fang, I thought I was about to piss myself. And that thought made me laugh even more.

I raised my two huge front legs, tried to barge down the door, and… nothing. The lab door opened, and Erasers and whitecoats began to pour in.

_Holy… shitting mother of God…_

I began to back away. And, just then, Anastasia woke up.

"Wha…?" she mumbled, looking up at me, bleary-eyed.

"Just shut up," I said. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm saving your ass over here."

She broke out into a weary smile. "Really?"

"I thought I told you to shut it," I snapped. "I need to freaking _concentrate."_

"Oh." She looked around at the advancing whitecoats, Erasers, and the Superior. _"Oh." _She looked at the Superior again, and snarled, "Oh, you'd better watch it, you old –"

"GET THEM!" The Superior shrieked again, drowning out Anastasia's extremely colourful choice of words.

The Erasers were closing in on us now, grinning, hands extended. A claw brushed my foot. I let out a yell. Then, all of a sudden, the Erasers leapt forwards and – _why the heck am I not doing anything? – _and – and –

There was a loud thump.

I cautiously opened one eye.

All of the Erasers were sprawled out on the floor, eyes shut, and… not breathing. The Superior looked like she was about to burst a vessel. I looked down at Anastasia through my elephant eyes. She threw up a thumbs-up.

"Impressive," I congratulated.

"I _told _you I was better than you," she said, straight-faced, then at my expression, smiled. "God, Angel, it's a _joke."_

Then we both turned towards her.

The Superior looked at me, then down at Anastasia, then back at me. She let out something like a whimper.

I couldn't help myself. I quickly transformed back into my original self, and grinned at her, stepping forwards and letting go of Anastasia.

"Superior, Superior," I teased. "Was that… _whimpering _we just heard?"

She scowled. "You know I could have more Erasers down here in an instant."

"And what?" I countered. "Have them drop dead at your feet?"

"Again?" Anastasia added icily. "You know, Superior, I called you my _mother. _My freaking _mother! _But you just turned out to be a bitch-from-hell."

"Which is where you'll be going when we're done with you," I said, super-sweetly. "Your _rightful _home."

"Oh, you two just think you're too clever," the Superior snarled. "But don't forget, you're in the electricity room. You should know well enough that I can have you burnt to ashes in less than a second."

In an instant, I was between her and the door. And Anastasia did all the talking for me. It was weird, I guess, not doing all the smart-talking myself, but it came as naturally as blowing buildings to kingdom come for Iggy and the Gasman.

"So, Supey," said Anastasia.

_Hey, _I thought. _Supey? That's MY creation._

Her lips twitched. _I know. It catches on quickly._

"Supey," she repeated. "How's it going?"

The Superior didn't answer.

"_Mother," _she said, shaking her head. "Can't believe I actually ever called you that. Well, I've got news for you. I _have _family now. So I guess, Mommy dearest, that I can't be yours anymore. And I don't belong to them either. I'm free. I'm freaking _independent, _baby!"

"Independent?" she snapped. "Anastasia, _you _independent? Really? Don't make me laugh."

"So what do you suggest?" she shot back. "Let myself do whatever people like _you _want me to do? To… to what? Try and lure my own _twin sister _down here? For what? A freaking _experiment?_"

I felt a twinge of emotion. It was just as I'd suspected.

"You really messed with the wrong girl," she finished triumphantly. Then, shrugging, added, "Mutant."

The Superior suddenly seemed to soften. "Anastasia," she said. "You're being brainwashed by Angel. She may seem like her skills match yours, but trust me, Anastasia. They are _much _stronger. This is all an illusion, sweetie. She's just playing with your mind."

"_What?" _I burst out.

_Anastasia, _I thought. _Don't believe her. She's lying, and you know it. I'm your freaking flesh and blood! And she's a freaking LIAR._

Anastasia didn't look at me. "An illusion?" she asked.

A smile played on the Superior's face. "Yes, Anastasia."

_Stace –_

This time she glared at me.

_Anastasia, _she corrected.

_Whatever, _I thought. _Just please don't listen to her. PLEASE. Just trust me, Stace._

_ANASTASIA!_

"All of this, an illusion?" she asked. "Whenever Angel is with me, an illusion?"

"Of course, honey," she half-sang. "Whenever."

Anastasia grinned. "Even now, Supey?"

The Superior suddenly realized her mistake, and quickly tried to backtrack.

"So what you're telling me now… all an illusion?" she asked. "What was it you said? _Whenever?"_

God, I loved that girl.

"So what are you _really _saying, Superior?" she asked. "That someone's playing with my mind?"

The Superior was speechless.

Her gaze hardened. "The only person who's freaking _brainwashed _me around here is you. The only person who's 'played with my mind'? Oh, that would be you, too. Come to think of it, Supey, you're the one who's been _completely _controlling me. _Whenever," _she added with a bitter smile.

"Now you know that's not true," said the Superior. "Honey –"

"Don't you _honey _me," Anastasia fired back.

But inside, I knew she was laughing. She was _pissing _herself.

_Good going, Stace, _I thought. _I think the only other person who's ever smart-talked ALMOST as good as you is… uh, let me think. ME._

_Uh… in your dreams, _she thought. _And it's ANASTASIA, Angie._

I was horrified. _Angie?_

_See? Really gets on your nerves, doesn't it?_

_Sure does, Stace._

We both snapped back into reality as the Superior took a step towards Anastasia.

"Anastasia…" she said. "Honey."

"I said," Anastasia replied coldly. "Don't _honey _me."

She stepped back, glancing over at me. I smiled sweetly in reply.

"Look, I figured it all out, okay?" Anastasia said. "You're a pretty clever person, but you've still got your dumb spots. _I read minds. _In all the Erasers' and whitecoats' minds, I saw what you did to me. Brainwashing, Supey? Really? You used me as a freaking_ tool. _Who in their right mind would try to bring down their family? And I _wasn't _in my right mind. Because you were controlling me.

"But then… then I met the flock, and I actually got to know them. My first ever friends. All of them were nice to me –" She looked at me, and grinned. "– Although Angel was a bit of a… late bloomer. And then, when you put me in this freaking _electricity _room, I knew that I was never a daughter to you, Supey. That's when I realized I was… something that you just _used."_

The Superior turned to me. "You know," she said, "I could have people down here in a moment."

I rolled my eyes. "You've already used that one, Supey. Think of a new line, why don't you?"

Anastasia laughed. "You've got yourself into a bit of a tight spot, Mommy. What're you going to do? Brainwash me to kill Angel, then… oh, I don't know… kill _myself?"_

The Superior stepped one step closer to the door… and to me.

"Oh no, you don't," I said. "You know, I really want to kick your ass. Honestly, I really do. But since I'm such a nice person, I'm going to let Stace do the honours."

"Thanks, _Angie," _she said, smiling.

She closed in on the Superior, and I left the room to the control area, just in case anyone else came in. An instant later, Anastasia darted past the Superior, and was standing next to me.

_What…? _I thought.

She slammed the door, and her gaze locked with the Superior's.

"I'm just giving her a taste of her own medicine."

And her hand came down on the MAX VOLTAGE button. The iron rods burned white, and the Superior dropped to the floor.

_Breathing? _I asked.

We both leaned in close, ears pressed to the still-hot glass. A second later, we slapped high-fives.

The Superior was finally dead.

"Stace," I said solemnly.

"Angie," she replied, just as straight-faced.

We both grinned at the same time, then burst out laughing. It was just too good to be true. If the Superior was the head of all the experiments on mutants… then were we free at last?

Then, all of a sudden, the door creaked open. We both froze, then looked around in alarm. It wasn't the door through to the electricity room, thank God, but it was the other one. And standing right there, looking utterly confused, was Subject twenty-seven.

**_This is another time for Jaws. Da-da. Da-da. DADADADADADADA. :)_**

**_So. I'll try to be better with updates from now on. AND THATS A PROMISE._**

**_Did it deserve any reviews?? Pretty please???? Just to make my day???? Hey, I tell you what. Whoever reviews gets their names in the next chapter. That's right. Not a mention at the beginning in a little authors note... NO. YOUR NAMES WILL BE IN THE CHAPTER._**

**_Happy reviewing :) (please?)_**


	27. Sweet Revenge

**_So, I did it. Well, I TRIED to do it. I tried to put all you folks who reviewed chapter 26's names into this chapter. For some of you, you're just bloggers. And for others, you've got to look closer to see... And I'm REALLY sorry to _****_maxride333 because I had to call you Emily to_ _make it work, and SeekDreamsAndFindHope is Luna_**... **_( to be fair, though, those are the names you signed off with.... I hope that's okay?)_**

**_Anyway. Here's a list of all your names, too, in order that they appear in the chapter, just in case you want to check :)_**

**_Ailat, pandygrrl, 6464MiniDiceOfRandomness (Jessica), Kelly, Emily, Luna, Lollery, Nightwatcher'sunknowngirl, Alyssa4Music4Life, Read4urlife, Emo-Nerdy-Insane-Writer, mayball31695, kittyxx92, SilverAngel1234, awaylaughingonafastcamel, lightningbolt, harrypotterlookalike (sorry, I had to lose the 'x' at the end), allyg1990._**

**_I HOPE THAT'S IT. If I missed anyone out, review and tell me, and I will give you a special mention in the next chapter!_**

**_Oh, and I just want to make one thing clear. When Angel sees Tee (subject 27)'s memory, she is in first person BECAUSE it's his memory, ie, she's re-living it in his body...? You'll see. I hope._**

**Sweet Betrayal**

No one spoke for a long moment. Then, finally, Anastasia broke the silence.

"Tee," she said. "Listen to me."

Subject twenty-seven gaped at her. _"What _is going on here? Where's the Superior?"

I glanced back at the electricity room.

He followed my gaze, saw the slumped form of the Superior on the ground, then rushed to the window. "No… Is that…?"

I nodded. "Uh-huh."

He glared at the both of us. "You _killed _her?"

"Tee –" began Anastasia, but he cut in.

"Anastasia," he snapped. "How could you _kill _her? You betrayed us. You're… you're with the _enemy_ now."

"She's not the enemy!" she shot back. "And besides, the _Superior _tried to kill _me. _It's only… I don't know. Fair? You don't know what she tried to _do _to me, Tee. She… she…"

I felt a flash of guilt from him, and quickly rifled through his mind. And then I was suddenly watching a scene unfold in front of me, in Subject twenty-seven's body, of course, since it was his memory…

* * *

_The Superior is standing in front of me, her arms folded across her chest._

"_Anastasia is no longer of any use to us," she is saying. And since you're so very close to her, why don't you suggest what we should do with her… Get rid of her, perhaps?"_

_I feel myself grin. "Why don't you do what you did to the rest of her… friends?"_

"_What," she says, "Electrify her?"_

"_To death," I finish. "But, of course, first you must give her a little pain."_

"_Torture?" the Superior asks. "Mmm… I like it. Bitter treachery."_

"_I prefer to see it as sweet betrayal," I reply. "And then, when she's finished…"_

"_We will have her body to experiment on, and Angel, the strongest of their little… 'flock'," the Superior finishes. "And then, we can destroy the rest of them like we tried to do ten years ago. Little Angel was never supposed to die, remember? I specifically gave orders that the flock were all to be killed, and she was supposed to be captured for experimentation here…"_

"_I'll make sure they all die this time," I say. "Not one of them will survive." _

_She looks up at me, and there is a glint in her eyes. "You won't fail me, will you… Tee?"_

_A coy smile plays on her lips, and I step forwards casually. She wraps her arms around my neck, and I lower my lips to hers._

"_I'll never fail you," I murmur. "Anastasia and the flock will be dead soon."_

* * *

Instants later, I was rushing at Subject twenty-seven, drawing my fists back to pummel the life out of him.

"_Angel!" _Anastasia yelled. "What're you _doing? _That's my… that's my _boyfriend!"_

"He _knew," _I growled. "He freaking _knew _they were going to kill you. He was… he was with…"

"Angel, what are you _talking _about? Stop! He's…" And then it suddenly sunk in. _"What _did you say?" she whispered.

"See for yourself," I said, and sent her the memory.

It took her less than a second to watch the whole thing, and then, trembling, her legs gave way underneath her. "He… he…"

"So can I deck him now?" I asked hopefully.

"Get off him, Angel," she said coldly.

Below me, Subject twenty-seven was furrowing his eyebrows, looking utterly confused. I scowled at him, but backed off. He sat up.

"Anastasia, I don't think you –"

Then his head was suddenly gone, snapped back by the force of Anastasia's slap. He let out a yell of pain.

"You cheating, lying, evil, hairy, crappy little crap-face," she snarled. "You know, _Tee, _you really were a shitty boyfriend. And not just about the cheating with the person who was… my _mother _at the time."

I winced inwardly. "Ew."

"It was _everything," _she finished. "You really never were a good kisser, too, come to think of it. You know, one time there was this kind of… half-monkey, half-donkey mutant the whitecoats called… Ailat, or something. I can't really remember, but I _think _that was it. Well, anyway, it went all chokey after this one experiment, and the whitecoats needed to give it CPR. And the whitecoats? Yep, they were too freaking _hygienic _to do it themselves, so they grabbed the nearest mutant – _me – _and _I _had to freaking do it! _CPR_, Tee. And you know what? That… _kiss _was _wa-ay _better than anything I ever had with you. Yeah, Tee. You sucked worse than a monkey/donkey crossover. Ailat really was pretty something compared to you."

* * *

**MAX**

Iggy really would've made one hell of a doctor.

Yeah, so he was blind. Well, what difference did _that _make? It hadn't stopped him before.

"Push," he commanded, and Nudge, grinding her teeth and clutching both our hands, pushed. Hell, she _pushed._

But no. No baby.

"I c-can't do it, Ig," spluttered Nudge. "God, it freaking _hurts."_

"Come on," he said.

"It'll all be over soon," yipped Total from the sidelines. "Nudge, just picture your lovely baby, trying to get out from inside you. It's pushing and gurgling and clawing and –"

Iggy shot him a glare.

God, Total. He'd finally come out of his mourning-for-Akila-faze-in-the-dark-corner-of-the-cave.

"I want it to stop," she sobbed. "I just want it to _s-stop."_

I turned to her. "Nudge. You've been punched and kicked and bloodied around by Erasers. And you got through that. You're strong. You can get through this."

She looked at me with her huge chocolate eyes. "That's not _helping… _This is so much _worse…"_

Iggy and I exchanged glances.

_What should I do? _he mouthed at me.

"Er…" I trailed off. This was the one thing in my entire life that I had no idea how to deal with.

_Voice? _I asked hopefully. But, of course. There was no response. _Just my freaking luck._

"Fang!" Total suddenly burst out.

"Total, in case you didn't realize, he and Gazzy _aren't _here," I said tiredly. "They went to get Angel and Anastasia."

"Max, I'm not _dumb."_

"You could've fooled me," I muttered.

He ignored me. "Check Fang's _blog. _He said he was gonna ask people for tips about Nudge… maybe there's something there?"

"Okay," I said. "Good plan. Ig, you stay there with Nudge, and I'll go check it out. Total… you can help Iggy, too."

Nudge screamed. Iggy nodded. I began to clamber over to Fang's laptop.

I opened it. _Right… _A little blue box sprang up, and the word PASSWORD flashed across it.

"Damn, guys, I need a freaking _password," _I said.

"Just _guess!" _Iggy yelled back, trying to keep Nudge from flailing.

"Um… okay…" I mumbled. "Password, password… _black?"_

No.

"Uh…" I said. "What about _Itex?"_

No.

"Oh, Max, I should warn you," called Total. "You only get three tries."

"_What?" _I groaned. "Um… You know what? I don't know. We should just give up."

_Maximum Ride doesn't give up._

I felt a rush of familiarity. _Voice! Hi. Where've you been?_

_Around, _the Voice replied. _Think, Maximum, think. What does Fang love more than anything in the world?_

Suddenly, I remembered something Angel told me all those years ago. Four words.

_Fang loves you, Max…_

"No," I said aloud. "It wouldn't be…"

_Try it, Maximum. Am I ever wrong?_

I slowly typed three letters into the box. _M…A…X. _I pressed ENTER.

The computer whirred to life. I stared at it incredulously. I couldn't believe it. No freaking way.

_Uh… Maximum? Shouldn't you get a move on?_

_Shut up, Voice._

_Is that any way to treat me after I helped you so much?_

_Okay, thanks, _I thought. _Now get out of my head._

I looked at the screen, wondering what to do next. But, to my relief, an instant later, the blog popped up. I checked the latest installment, updated yesterday.

* * *

Yo,

So. What's all the news with the big CIVILIZATION out there? Actually, you know what? Keep your life stories to yourself. Unless you're someone super-famous. Then I _might _want to know.

_Might._

Whatever. Well here's the latest news with ZE AWESOME FLOCK.

Iggy – is still _trying _to avoid Max because of the whole knocking-Nudge-up thing. And about Nudge. She is BLOODY HUGE. God. I can't believe I just said _bloody. _I sounded BRITISH, man. Top-notch. Tea and scoooones. Ha ha.

Max – is pretty peeved off because… well, she's usually pretty peeved off. JOKES, Maxie. JOKES. :) I love you really. No. She's just being her normal self… Actually, she _is _pretty peeved off at the mo, because…

You know what? Let me just put it like this.

THE LATEST NEWS.

1) Angel and her long-lost twin sister – MISSING.

2) Max – trying to figure out what the heck to do.

3) Gazzy – going nuts because of point 1.

4) Me – writing blog to all you folks out there.

5) Total – haven't seen him in a while. Probably still mourning the (deceased) love of his life.

6) Iggy – freaking out because of last point.

7) Nudge – GIVING FREAKING BIRTH.

SOS. HELP US. Any tips?

Peace out.

FLY ON.

* * *

And, below that, hundreds of comments. I read the first few.

* * *

**pandygrrl writes:**

Wow. ALREADY? Wow. Just… wow. NUDGE IS PREGNANT?

_pandygrrl,_

_Honestly? How long have you been reading this blog for? Nudge has been pregnant for a LOOONNG time, now. She is currently GIVING BIRTH. She's WAY past the pregnant stage._

_-Fang_

**6464MiniDiceOfRandomness writes:**

Call the baby Jessica. It is THE BEST NAME IN THE UNIVERSE. I love your blog!

_6464MiniDiceOfRandomness,_

_You have a cool name. And I'll tell her. But it PROBABLY won't work out. This is Nudge we're talking about. It won't be anything normal if it's a girl like Jessica or Kelly or Emily… The poor guy-chick will probably turn out being called Sugarplum-fairy-who-loves-chocolate Nadia-Luna-Lollery_ _Nightwatcher's-unknown-girl Vivienne-Westwood. Or something (creative…) like that. It'll definitely have about a million middle names._

_-Fang_

**Alyssa4Music4Life writes:**

Poor Total. Is he okay?

_Alyssa4Music4Life,_

_Yup. Well, he WILL be. He SHOULD be. He'll probably find some Chihuahua somewhere as a rebound. But AKILA WAS AN AWESOME DOG. He'll always have the memories. RIP Akila… God. Sometimes I really shock myself._

_-Fang_

**Read4urlife writes:**

Ohmygod! Anastasia and Angel? Gone? Are they back at the School? Or that other place? OH NO.

_Read4urlife,_

_They're MISSING. Meaning we don't know where they are._

_-Fang_

**Emo-Nerdy-Insane-Writer writes:**

Good luck, with the whole Nudge-giving-birth thing. It's supposed to be painful as hell. BUT it might be different for you avian/Americans.

_Emo-Nerdy-Insane-Writer,_

_Let's hope so. THANKS FOR YOUR POST!_

_-Fang_

**mayball31695 writes:**

Wow, I really can't see Iggy as a dad, but he'll probably be a really good one! I love you, FLOCK.

_mayball31695,_

_Yeah, me neither, but I WISH. Otherwise it's gonna be up to Max to take care of it, and we won't have any… *cough*… quality time… together…_

_-Fang_

**kittyxx92 writes:**

You and Max are the CUTEST. I wish you every happiness.

_kittyxx92,_

_Awwww. Thanks. That's… uh… pretty nice of you._

_-Fang_

**SilverAngel1234 writes:**

Fang, will you marry me? And what are you and the flock up to at the moment?

_SilverAngel1234,_

_I really, honestly love Max. Sorry. But you can get with Gazzy, if you want! He's pretty desperate. :)__ Hee hee. (Don't tell him I said that, though. He'll get pretty mad. Like, MAX mad…) And I'm… away laughing on a fast camel and then being struck by a lightning bolt while looking at a harry potter lookalike? Get real. If I say anything – ANYTHING – they will come and get us. So gotta be careful. Fly on._

_-Fang_

* * *

I was just about to give up. There was nothing here about how to help someone give birth. But then I caught sight of the next post… and broke out into a smile.

* * *

**allyg1990 writes:**

You probably want painkillers for Nudge, but you guys have been in PRETTY tough situations, so maybe not… Um… tips. Well, just get her to push (of course), and when the baby's out, cut the cord and you've got to hit it (GENTLY, otherwise you'll kill it) on the back so it breathes. There's going to be an afterbirth, which will be icky, but you can just clean that up… and I guess that's about it. Good luck, Nudge.

_allyg1990,_

_THANK YOU. Now at least we KNOW. THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU x1000000000000. Have a good life._

_-Fang_

* * *

**_So... did I do it? Did I manage to pull it off? _**

**_Review and tell me!!!! Please??????_**

**_Fly on..._**

**_Sophie Says Hi_**

**_xx_**

**_(sorry... couldn't resist!!!)_**

**HAPPY REVIEWING??????**


	28. Baby

**_This is for Ailat, because YOU WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT NUDGE 'BIRTHING A KA-FREAKING CHILD'. Right?_**

**_Enjoy :)_**

**Baby**

**Still MAX'S POV**

I rushed back to Iggy and Total, quickly going over what we were supposed to do. Iggy exhaled, relieved. Total mumbled something like "I knew that". And Nudge? She just went on screaming, the little momma.

Make that _huge _momma-to-be.

"Oh, God," said Total suddenly.

He looked sick.

"What?" Iggy said quickly. "What's wrong? Is there something wrong? God, Total, what's _wrong? _Oh, Nudge, relax, nothing's _wrong." _He forced a laugh, then glared at Total, lowering his voice to a hiss. _"What's wrong?"_

I could've laughed if it was someone else. But it was Nudge. So I pushed up my sleeves, and took a deep breath.

Okay. Time to get into team-leader-that-always-takes-care-of-the-flock-aka-the-one-and-only-Maximum-Ride-who-has-gotten-this-far-and-has-not-died-yet-and-nothing-will-ever-surprise-her-because-she-is-one-tough-mutant-made-up-of-muscle-and-a-whole-lotta-_whoop-ass_ mode.

"Right." I faced Total. "What's up?"

He turned green – metaphorically, readers, _metaphorically. _Total's black. You know that, right? He's _black. _A black terrier. If you didn't know that, well… shame on you. _So. _I guess you know, but just in case, it's_ impossible_ for a black terrier to turn _green. _Impossible. Unless the black terrier was Angel. Then, sure, it's possible. But we all know that when the big guy up there hit Angel with the 'skills' stick, he hit her _hard. _She's like a one-_wo_man system. A MACHINE.

_Anyway. _Back to the present.

"So?" I asked Total. "What is it?"

He pointed his nose towards Nudge's – er – well, you know where. I looked over, reluctantly, and gagged.

Remember when I said that Maximum Ride was one tough mutant that nothing would ever surprise?

_Wrong._

"Holy mother of crap," I breathed. "Iggy… _Iggy."_

He looked up with his unseeing eyes, worried. "Yep?"

"Uh…" I trailed off. "It looks like the baby's… coming out?"

"Oh, _Jesus," _said Total. "Oh… You know what, Max? I'm going around to the head. Good luck at the… rear."

I ignored his last comment.

"Come on, Nudge," Iggy was saying. "You're nearly there. Just a couple more pushes."

It only took two.

Nudge grabbed Iggy's hand and Total's paw, with a newfound steel in her eyes. She gritted her teeth, and let out a scream that sounded like a freaking fire alarm, her face turning _bright _red, and suddenly the baby – the slimy, bloody baby – was in my arms.

I couldn't help but shiver. It was _gross._

Nudge lay panting, collapsed on the ground. A smile broke out on Iggy's face. Total took one look at what I was holding, and puked.

Then Nudge suddenly began pushing again, and out came the afterbirth.

Total puked again.

I remembered the information from the blog, and began to hit the baby. Nudge's eyes widened in shock, but she stayed put. Once, twice, three times, four times, five times….

And then the baby started bawling.

"Oh, wait!" I interjected, holding it out at arms length. "Um… we need to cut this tube. Total?"

"What is it?" he asked faintly.

"Bite it," I said.

He looked blankly back at me, then it sunk in. _"What?"_

"For God's sake," I said. "Hurry up, and bite the thing."

Total came over reluctantly, and took the umbilical cord between his jaws. Then he bit down, his eyes tightly shut.

"Good… Now, someone give me something to wrap the baby up in," I said in my all-commanding voice. "I need to wrap it up."

Iggy peeled off his shirt. "Will this be okay?"

"For now, I guess," I said, taking it and wrapping the baby up.

There was a moment of silence. The baby had finally stopped crying, and was staring up at me with bright blue eyes - _Iggy's _eyes. I looked around at all the mess.

"Maybe we should move," Total suggested.

"No," Iggy said. "Not now. In a while, though, when Nudge has some energy."

"When Nudge has some energy?" Total repeated, incredulous. "God, Ig, Nudge _always _has energy. This is the motor-mouth we're talking about here. All-Nudge, The Nudge Channel… Ring any bells?"

Nudge glared at him. "I am _not _that talkative. You know what, Total, between the two of _us, _you're probably _more _chatty. You just chat, chat, chat, whenever you want to, and I'm _always _quiet and calm and _collected_. I am NOT talkative. Don't say that, it's really-"

"See?" Total cut in. "Energy's back. Now let's move _away _from this... gross, yucky place._"_

"Wait," said Nudge, perking up and looking over at Max. "I want to hold my baby."

I looked down; for a second there, I'd completely forgotten I was holding it. "Sure."

I walked closer to her, and put the swaddled-up baby in her arms. She beamed.

"Look, Iggy, it's our baby," she said happily. Then she realized her mistake, and backtracked. "No, Ig, I didn't mean _look."_

He smiled. "Nudge, it's okay."

She looked relieved, and he reached out, using his hands to feel where she was, then leaned in and kissed her.

Me and Total exchanged glances. Then he cracked up.

"What?" I said angrily.

"Maximum Ride…" he laughed. "…is _blushing."_

"No, I'm _not," _I said. "Okay… maybe a little. But –"

"God," said Nudge, breaking apart from Iggy, and we both turned around instantly to look at her. "Oh, wait! I forgot! Girl or boy, girl or boy…?"

We both leaned in closer. I looked up at Iggy, but his eyes were closed, a huge smile on his face. I wondered if I should say something, but did it really matter if his eyes were closed? The view was the same for him either way. Maybe he was just picturing how it looked…?

Nudge pulled away some of the wrapping. She grinned.

"I knew it," she said. "It's a boy."

* * *

**IGGY's POV**

_A boy… It's a boy…_

I couldn't believe it. It was… _wow. _A baby. Me and Nudge's _baby_.

Suddenly, a memory shot through my head, a memory from when I was in that _freaking _cage, back in the 2nd School...

* * *

_My eyelids fluttered shut, and all I could see was blackness. Whatever. I was used to it, anyway. I usually saw blackness when my eyes were open. And then I actually saw something. In my head of course…but still._

_I tried to figure out what it was. A circle. O…kay._

_Then it started changing shape, morphing slowly into something bigger. The shape of a baby. But it had no face, and no color. It was just a white blob. I shut my eyes harder, willing myself to see the baby even more clearly._

_Its skin tone darkened slightly, until it became a light brown. Kind of like the color of mocha. Or cappuccino. Or…a mixture of my and Nudge's skin. Then two large, piercing blue eyes popped out of the blank face, followed by a little nose. Below it came a small mouth, complete with two full pink lips – they looked exactly like Nudge's, I suddenly realized, with a pang. Then, in a huge rush came its hair, curly honey brown, ripping out of the baby's skin along the hairline._

_It blinked, and I gasped._

_I was looking at our baby. Our little baby boy._

* * *

"I know what he looks like," I said, and all of their heads whipped around to stare at me. My eyes were still shut. "I… actually _know."_

"What d'you mean?" whispered Nudge.

"I can see him in my head," I explained. "He has cappuccino skin, with huge blue eyes and a small nose. He has a mouth like yours, and curly, honey brown hair… He's beautiful."

Max looked stunned. Maybe it was because I knew what the baby looked like… or maybe it was because I said 'beautiful'.

"I _know," _gushed Total, breaking the silence. "He's so damn _cute."_

"You forgot one thing, Ig," said Nudge softly. She took my hand, and I felt something feathery beneath my fingertips. "He's got your wings."

I opened my eyes, feeling his wings – my wings, but tiny. In my head, I saw the colour of them, too – light brown, the same as mine.

"Wow," I said. "I didn't know if he was gonna have wings."

"Nope," she said. "He's sure got 'em."

"So what's his name?" asked Total, interrupting us… _again_. "If I were you, I'd go for a French name. The French are always pretty classy, right? So _then _your baby'd grow up with a name like… Jean-Pierre, and _all _the girls'll be all over him, and –"

"Total," I said.

For the first time in his life, he shut up.

"Jean-Pierre?" considered Nudge, then shook her head. "No, I think I already know what I'm gonna call him."

"And?" asked Max.

"Well, if he was a _girl, _I'd call her Sunny, but since he's a _boy, _I was thinking Dynamite," she said. "Or… Sunny Dynamite? Lately, though, I like Cosmo. And Tiger. Tiger's _cool._"

I smiled to myself. This was Nudge. Of course it would be a… different name.

"Or something longer?" she mulled. "What about Bright Pink River Heaven?"

"Just to be sure," asked Total, "this is a _guy _we're talking about, right?"

"What about _Blade?" _said Max. "Or _Storm?"_

"What about Macho-Man?" Total grinned.

Max scowled at him. "I was only saying that it should be something _manly."_

"Like Bright Pink River Heaven," he said with a completely straight face.

"Hey, Ig?" said Nudge. "This is way too hard. What do _you _think?"

"I don't know," I said. "But _not _Bright Pink River Heaven. Maybe Tiger. I like it."

"Mmm… same, but what about Dynamite and River and Cosmo? Oh, and Max's idea," she added. "I like Storm, too."

"What about Tiger Storm Dynamite River Cosmo?" Total said.

"Maybe a _tiny _bit shorter," I said. "Just a bit."

"Tiger River Storm? Tiger Dynamite Cosmo?" she mumbled. "Tiger Dynamite Storm?"

"_That's _it," said Total. "Tiger Dynamite Storm."

"Yeah," said Nudge. "My little Tiger. Ig?"

"I like it," I said. "So… our flock of Max, Fang, Nudge, Iggy, Gazzy, Angel, Anastasia and… Tiger. It fits."

"Awesome." Total was nodding slowly.

"'Tiger, let's kick some serious Eraser butt,'" said Max. "'Hurry up, Tiger, we need to go kick some butt.' Yeah, same. It sounds good."

"Sounds like you can go kick a lot of butt," teased Total.

"So, Tiger Dynamite Storm?" I asked.

"Yeah," agreed Nudge. "Tiger Dynamite Storm."

**_WHOO. Tiger Dynamite Storm._**

**_PERSONALLY, I prefer Bright Pink River Heaven, but Tiger Dynamite Storm sounds like someone who can - in Max's words - 'kick some serious Eraser butt'. He will be an AWESOME baby. But only if you review....??_**

**_PLEASE?? For the baby?_**


	29. Battle of the Exes

**_ANDD we're BACK into Angel's POV. Happy reading!_**

**Battle of the Exes**

Subject twenty-seven sprung up, a huge smile on his face.

"I was wondering when you'd find out," he said. "And don't worry, _sweetie… _About the kissing? Our feelings were pretty much mutual."

"You know?" snapped Anastasia. "If I were you – which I'd rather _die _than let happen – and I really, _really _liked the Superior, I wouldn't be _smiling _right now."

"Oh, she's not _dead," _he scoffed.

"What?" I cut in. "'Course she's dead. Her freaking _heart's _stopped beating. How dead can you get, buster?"

"Buster?" He was bemused. "Honey, the Superior's as dead as I am."

"And you're_ so_ dead," snarled Anastasia, lunging at him.

"Wait," I said.

Anastasia stumbled. She stared back at me. _"What?"_

_Just… wait a sec, _I thought.

_WHY? _

"Subject twenty-seven," I said slowly. "What d'you _mean _she's not dead? Anastasia here just put a couple hundred volts through her brain. She's _fried."_

"Yeah, her body over there might be fried," he said. "But _she's_ not dead."

"_Of course she is!" _I yelled. "Stop trying to play your stupid mind-trick games on us, Tee. Mind games are for people like _us. _You just sit there like a good boy and do what I say. Wait for us to kick your lily-livered ass all the way to next century."

"Say hi to the aliens for me," Anastasia quipped. "And don't worry... they probably won't run away screaming from _you,_ Tee, since you guys would look _so _alike."

"In your dreams," he said. Then he turned back to me with a mock-innocent expression. "But Angel, you know better than anyone else that people can come back from the dead, don't you?"

_Ari… _

The memory shot through my head. I doubled over, clutching my head.

_No… The Superior's DEAD… How can she come back?_

"Tell us how she'll come back," I growled. "Or we'll kill you."

"Go ahead," he said, enjoying himself. _"Try."_

"Just tell us how she does it, and no one gets hurt," I said. "Come _on."_

"No," he said, already beginning to transform, his teeth becoming longer and longer, scales erupting from his back. "Fight me, biatch."

"_Biatch?" _I repeated. "Oh, boy, you've really done it now."

Anastasia grinned. "D'you want to kill him, Angel?"

"I sure as hell do," I said. "But since he cheated on _you…?"_

"You do the honours," she said. "You're pretty much dying to, anyway."

I smirked. "You just signed your own death warrant, vampire-boy."

Then I remembered the Superior. We couldn't let her come back to life.

_Get inside the electricity room, _I thought. _Destroy the Superior's body._

"Angel, Angel, Angel," he said. "Your _mighty _powers don't work on me in this building."

_GET INSIDE, _I ordered. _NOW._

"But let me just show you who you're dealing with," he said.

Subject twenty-seven pushed past the two of us, and came to where all the buttons were. A smile played on his lips as he tapped in a code, and opened a red box titled TO INCINERATE. He looked inside the room at the body of the Superior, then pushed the button.

We stood, frozen, as white-hot heat pulsed inside the room. A blast of blistering air came from the gap under the door, and I stepped backwards. When we finally looked inside the room again, the Superior had been completely destroyed – all that remained of her were a pile of ashes.

"Holy crap…" breathed Anastasia. She wheeled around, turning to Subject twenty-seven. "But I thought you... you really liked her!"

"Sure," he said. "I _love _her."

"Love?" I repeated. "_Love? _Not… not love_d?"_

"Oh, good," he said. "You noticed. At least one of the twins is a _teensy _bit clever."

Anastasia glared at him. "_What _was that?"

"Oh, Stacie, Stacie," he crooned. "Our time is up, _babe. _You know how girls have either brains _or _beauty? Well, here's what I figured about you two, and my one and only. In your cases, Angel's got the brains, and you've got the… well, not so much _beauty… _more, I guess, _ugliness… _and the Superior ended up with both brains _and _proper, gorgeous, stunning, _beauty."_

"Brains?" I echoed. "_You _wouldn't know brains if they fell out of the sky screaming 'Oh my God, watch out! I'm a _brain!' _and hit you on the head."

"Yeah, Tee. You really aren't that brainy yourself," added Anastasia. "You know, even if you were twice as smart, you'd still be down there in the _brains _department with the woodlice and the freaking _dung-beetles. _

Then I broke in with: "Your _teeth _are brighter than you are, and, let's face it… they're not doing too well these days, are they?"

"And besides, brains aren't everything._" _Anastasia looked him up and down. "In fact, in _your _case, they're nothing."

"If you had another brain?" I smiled evilly. "It' d be lonely."

"And if brains were money?" Anastasia finished. "You'd be a charity case."

I had to say it. Between the two of us, we had a pretty good no-brains insult system going on here.

"Honey?" said Subject twenty-seven, looking over at her. "At least I know beauty when I see it, and you ain't no oil painting. I guess you're just a lost –"

_Sorry, Angel, _Anastasia thought. _I knew I said you could do the honours, but – _

She leapt forwards, one arm pulled back, and punched him, hard, on the face. Subject twenty-seven reeled back, clutching his bleeding nose.

"Oh, give it up, Stace," he said. "You were raised _here, _in a lab. And unlike yours truly, you were never taught how to fight."

She screamed in rage, and ran forwards again. He dodged her uppercut easily, and snapped his scaly leg out, so she went head over heels.

"No-one," I hissed, "Does that to _my _sister, and gets away with it."

I sprinted at him, the muscles in my leg rippling as I spun around, and planted a well-aimed kick right on his jawbone. There was a sickening crack.

"So the better sister sure does know how to fight," muttered Subject twenty-seven. "Angel, _darling, _we didn't get much time together, but I know _Louis _loved what time we–"

He cried out as his head jerked forwards. A second later, Anastasia was straddling him, punching the crap out of him.

"The _better _sister?" she shouted, deranged. "The _BETTER _sister? Huh. _Surprised, _are we? Surprised that freaking _Stace _has some freaking fight in her freaking grown-up-in-a-freaking-_lab _freaking body? Yeah? Take _that, _you evil, scaly, disgusting, dumbass, crappy piece of dirt. And _that. _And _that! _You deserve _every _freaking punch, y'old _wimp!"_

I launched myself at him, grinning, and grabbed his left leg. I twisted it until there was a satisfying _crack, _and a scream, and then I started on the other one.

"Take _that!" _she was still yelling. "And _that! _Oh, shut up," she added, as he opened his mouth to roar something back at her, "You'll never be the man your _beautiful _Superior is."

That shut him up, I guess. Or maybe it was her next punch at his mouth. Either way, it was a pretty good comeback. I stored it in the back of my head for safe-keeping.

"And don't you _dare _talk to me about fighting," she continued. "When you – can't – even – fight – your – _freaking_ – self!"

Subject twenty-seven snarled underneath her. "Oh, Anastasia, you think _this _is fighting?"

He snapped up one hard, scaly arm, and turned her over, so he was now pinning _her _to the ground. He drew back a clawed hand.

"Say sayonara, sweetheart," he said.

I leapt into action, grabbing his head, and pulling it away from her. Leaving one arm pressing her down, he threw the other one back around, catching me across the neck. Gasping for air, I staggered backwards. Subject twenty-seven took the moment to haul Anastasia upwards, then drive her crashing down to the ground. He did it again, and she fell unconscious.

I suddenly felt something digging into my side in my pocket, and, grabbing whatever it was, I chucked it. subject twenty-seven yelled as a metal can _clunked _against his head, and broke open. A hell of a lot of brown and white stuff exploded in his face. I cracked a grin.

It was Spagbol.

He leapt blindly at me, Anastasia still crumpled on the floor, his claws slashing through the air.

"Enjoying the free meal?" I asked, lightly dodging his attacks. "If you didn't guess, I once got it from this complete _jerk _after _dumping_ him."

"Dumping?" he shrieked. _"Dumping? _Angel, I was the _best _boyfriend you've ever freaking _had!"_

"Yeah, I guess," I said, bringing my fist up against his already-shattered nose. He yelped. "But maybe that's because you were the _only _boyfriend I ever had."

He launched another punch at me, and I went sprawling.

"Sorry, _darling," _he said. "Did that hurt a little?"

I rolled my eyes, although inside, I was screaming in pain.

"And, you know what?" I said, wiping away a stream of blood coming from my split lip. "Maybe you were _my _– and Anastasia's – only boyfriend, but you probably weren't the Superior's. And I'm guessing you were probably her _worst, _which is saying something, considering the rest of them were probably desperate little whitecoats… You were three-timing her, _Louis."_

"On _her _orders."

He hit me again and again, but all I did was laugh.

"You were cheating on her with… her almost-_daughter, _and a girl you'd met for… what was it? A _day?" _I felt a sharp sting in my chest as his claws raked my shirt. "And lets not forget that she was dating outside her freaking _species_ with you."

"So were you," he pointed out.

"Yeah," I said. "But I thought you were _human, _and since I'm 98% that, I didn't think it'd make much of a difference. What are you? 3%?_ 1%?"_

"_49.5%!" _he bellowed, clutching me by the arm, and throwing me across the room.

I hit a wall of glass, which shattered, but I still looked up at him, grinning.

"Ooh," I said sarcastically. "You got a point 5! _Wow. _That _almost _makes you half-human. Well freaking _done."_

He roared, running at me again, his fangs flashing in the light. I saw dots hovering before my eyes, and I knew that this was the final blow.

"Come on, you stinking prick," I muttered under my breath, bracing myself. "Come get me."

He was so close now, his hot breath on my face, his claws drawing back…

Then I could've sworn I heard someone shout my name, but I didn't know if I'd imagined it, because right then, all the energy left me, and I collapsed, my eyes falling shut, everything fading around me.

* * *

**_SORRY about the not-updating for ages!!! The neighbours are renovating, and all the freaking DRILLS are driving me MENTAL. So I wrote this one while there was this huge _**

**_loud noise going drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr next door. So this chapter might be a LITTLE off, but I hope it's okay.. _**

**_And just so you know? All of the insults and comebacks in this story.... I know it's more than usual, but it's NOT because I'm pissed off at the neighbours. No. *cough, cough*. _**

**_Of COURSE not. And, besides, who DOESN'T mind getting up at 10 in the morning when they have JET LAG because of a freaking DRILL??????_**

**_So, just to make me feel the TINIEST bit better... do I get any reviews??? Mentioning the AWESOMENESS of all the insults/comebacks at that scumbag Subject twenty-seven _**

**_(aka Tee) and how much everyone HATES him (I know I do)..... And what about the Superior? Who REALLY thinks she's kicked the bucket?_**

**_LOVE YOU ALL._**


	30. Mr Scaly

**Mr. Scaly**

**FANG POV**

"_Over here!" _Gazzy yelled at me. "I can hear something going on inside… Fang, help me get this door open."

He was fiddling with the handle, pushing it up and down… I glanced up. There was some sort of combination you had to enter.

"Stand back," I said. He didn't move. "Gazzy, get the hell _back!"_

He staggered away from the door, and I rushed at it, at the last second spinning around to slam the edge of my foot into the handle. Pain shot up my leg, but I ignored it, kicking it again and again, until it buckled and swung open.

Gazzy rushed past me into the room. He stumbled, glanced around, then shouted _"Angel!". _There was a sickening thump inside the room, and I quickly darted inside, to see a tall, scaly thing standing there with curved fangs and gleaming eyes. It was the grossest thing I'd ever seen. And that included watching Gazzy propel himself up into the air – a whole new definition of the phrase _blast off – _using his… special talents, you could say.

Gazzy and I stared at the thing. It stared back. I looked around, saw Anastasia lying facedown on the floor, and, just below his raised arm, the crumpled form of Angel. Gazzy let out a roar of disbelief.

I couldn't believe it either.

This _prick _knock out two of _us? _The _flock?_ Oh, man. He was _way _dead.

Swearing colourfully at the top of his voice, Gazzy lunged at him. As they grappled with one another, I ran across to Angel, trying to shake her awake.

"Come on, Angel."

I swallowed hard. I really wasn't one for emotion, but these days… it had to be Nudge's hormones. They were messing with my freaking head. Thank God the kid was _finally _the heck on it's way.

"Get up," I muttered. "We need to get out of this place. Come _on, _Angel."

She moaned, stirring, and her eyelids flickered for a moment. That was all I needed. I slapped her lightly across the cheek. She bolted upright.

"_Hey," _she said angrily. "What the heck was _that _for?"

"Yo." I gave a hint of a grin. "You're up. We gotta get you guys out of here."

Just then, Gazzy – in all his rage – threw the scaly thing into a couple of metal trolleys covered in stacks of what looked like blood samples. The test tubes shattered – and Gazzy and Mr. Scaly were both splattered in bright red liquid – and Angel looked over her shoulder.

Her expression darkened.

I grabbed her wrist just in time; she had leapt up, trying to get over to the fight.

"Stop," I said. "Gazzy's okay by himself. If he's not, _I'll _help. You're probably still pretty out of it."

"_Out of it?" _she all but shrieked. "Fang, I want to _kill _that jerk. No. Forget wanting to kill him.I _need _to kill him. So… let… me… _go."_

I held on firm as ever. She scowled.

A second later, her eyelids slipped down again, and I caught her just before she fell. She opened her eyes, looked back up at me with a lazy smile.

"I guess you're right," she said. "Pretty out of it, huh?"

"Okay," I said. "You stay right there. I'll go over to Anastasia. Then we're leaving."

She nodded, but didn't look too happy about 'staying right there'.

I hurried over to Anastasia, and started shaking her, too. God, what was taking so freaking _long? _The kid wasn't getting up.

"_Fang!" _yelled Gazzy. "Heads up!"

Instantly, I leapt to one side, pulling Anastasia behind me. A second later, Mr. Scaly went slamming into the floor where I had just been standing.

Crouching, I guess.

But whatever. Doesn't really make much of a difference.

Gazzy flashed a grin at me, rolling up his sleeves. Then Mr. Scaly dove forwards, catching the Gasman's chin with a bone-crunching punch. He cried out in pain. I nearly dropped Anastasia.

Angel froze from across the room, calling out her brother's name. He forced another weak grin, giving us all a thumbs' up.

"I'm good," he said cheerfully. "Just a little scratch is all."

But there was blood everywhere on his face, running down his neck – and not just from the test tubes. I was about to rush forwards to help, but then I remembered Anastasia. I couldn't just dump her back down. The whole point was to get in, get the two of them, and get out. Not _linger _and fight.

Linger?

"_Nudge," _I growled.

If it wasn't the hormones, it was the reading-old-novels-aloud. There was no way in hell the Mighty Fang would _ever _think of a word like… linger. Hell, no.

"Mighty Fang?" yelled Angel, and I stiffened.

In this life-and-death situation, she was _still _reading minds?

"In this life-and-death situation," she shouted back, "_You're _thinking about how Nudge reads _novels? _And the word _linger?... _Mighty Fang…"

I was never going to live this down, was I?

_What d'you think? No chance, _came her reply, clear as hell in my head. _You get Stace awake, and I'll go for Subject twenty-seven._

_You mean Mr. Scaly? _I thought, confused. _I never really met the guy. I don't like him, but I'm basing all this on first impressions. Pretty sure he's a lot more charming than he seems, though..._

_Fang, Fang, Fang, _she thought. _No-one told me you'd grown up to be _such _a funny guy. Mighty Fang… Mr. freaking Scaly…_

_Bite me._

_Sorry, _she thought. _It's just pretty damn hilarious._

I didn't answer.

_You really aren't one for words, are you?_

_Shut it._

_Sure. _She was smiling.

At that moment, Gazzy's drawn-out scream cut our thought-provoking (literally) conversation short. Our gazes both snapped up.

Gazzy was bleeding heavily, and this Subject thing was advancing on him.

**ANGEL POV**

I leapt forwards, blinking away a swell of dizziness, drawing my fists back. A moment later, five well-aimed punches found their mark on the back of Subject twenty-seven's unprotected neck.

He let out a shout of indignation, wheeling around to face me.

"Gaz, you okay?" I asked.

"Sure, sis," he spluttered, coughing up blood. "I told ya. Just a little… hurt…"

A surge of red-hot anger replaced my dizzy spells, and I glared at Subject twenty-seven. How freaking _dare _he.

"Angel," he said, looking bemused. "I thought you'd fainted. Or died. Whatever."

"I know," I hissed through gritted teeth. "It must've been when I saw your face up close. Or it could've been the breath. I'm a _sucker _for bad breath. No offence."

"Offence _taken," _he snarled back.

"Great," I said. "Just shows how freaking _vain _you are. How many times d'you look in the mirror, vamp-boy? Once an hour? This place must _really _be running out of money, then, replacing new mirrors. You know, seven years bad luck for every mirror you break, _Tee. _For you, that'd be… I don't know… maybe a little over a century?"

"_Enough!" _he roared. "Stop talking, and _fight_."

"The pleasure's all mine," I hissed. "Come get me."

I felt something slam, full-force, into my hip, and I staggered backwards, feeling my side erupt in pain. Fuelled on by the image of the Gasman's bloody face, I landed a couple more punches on him, before he took my wrist, and hauled me up into the air. I grinned.

"The air's my freaking _element!_" I yelled, snapping out my wings.

For some reason, he seemed prepared for this. A smile split his face for a second, before he grabbed one of those trolleys he had been thrown into earlier, and threw it up at me. The trolley – along with shards from the broken test-tubes – crashed into me. I felt a hundred jagged pieces of glass cut my wings, and, crying out, I drew them back in, feeling the glass graze my shoulders, before dropping out.

So now most of the glass was out. Problem _was, _I was oozing blood, and losing height.

I went crashing into the floor. Subject twenty-seven burst into laughter.

"So this is the mighty flock?" he chuckled. _"This?"_

"And this," shouted Fang, slamming a hard roundhouse kick into his neck, "Is the Mighty _Fang_, about to kick your scaly little ass."

I quickly looked back at Anastasia, who was now being cradled by the Gasman. He saw me looking, and nodded. I didn't have to send any thoughts to him. He knew what I was thinking, simple as that.

"_Fang!" _I roared. "U and A! Let's just get out of here, now! Are you even _listening _to me? U and _freaking _A!"

"I hear you!" he yelled back, dodging an attack from Subject twenty-seven. "But I want to just get this over and done with. Sooner we beat Mr. Scaly here, we _– _Oh, no, you freaking did _not! – _can go," he finished. "Otherwise we'll just be running away for the rest of our lives."

"He's not the head of all this!" I shouted. "The Superior is! _Was! _But she's dead! It's _over, _Fang! It's done. Let's _leave!"_

"Come _on, _Fang!" Gazzy joined in. "Let's just go. That guy… he's way too tough. You could take him on, easy, but you'd get pretty hurt. And we need you okay right now, 'cause the rest of us are kinda mushed up as it is… _Fang!_"

"U and A," I said. "Come on. Let's get out while we can."

Fang gave a brief nod, before ramming Subject twenty-seven's head into a glass door, who now looked liked a cross between Gazzy and my torn-up wings.

"On the count of three. One… two… _three!"_

There was a whoosh of air, and I felt the pain rush through me, through the scarlet cuts in my wings, but at least I could still fly.

We went crashing through the glass ceiling – a _huge _mistake on their part. How many getaways had we made through the freaking glass ceiling? Maybe it was good deco, but a real no-no when it came to security – and I felt the fresh air swoop down my throat, into my lungs.

It seemed that the crashing-through-glass had woken up Anastasia, and she let her own wings out, saving Gazzy the trouble of carrying her all the way back to our little cliff.

We were about two hundred meters away, when the Gasman stopped, hovering in mid-air. We turned around, confused.

"Gazzy?" said Anastasia. "What's going on?"

"Showtime." He grinned. "Boom."

Only Fang and I understood, immediately covering our ears. Anastasia was clueless.

"What d'you mean, _boom? _Oi, _Gasman. _What's _boom _mean? Is it some sort of a –"

_BOOM._

It was like a Hollywood movie, what with the whole mushroom-cloud, and the ten echoing _booms _following it,each getting quieter and quieter, like some kind of aftershock.

We were all forced back slightly from the explosion, but Anastasia was affected worst, having not known what was coming. She did a couple of somersaults in the air, before hovering again, caught in the air by the tips of her singed wingtips, and glowering back at the three of us.

"_That," _I said, "Is what the Gasman means by _boom."_

The Gasman clapped his hands together. "Didja _see _that? Now _that _was pretty impressive. If only Iggy had seen it… God. I'm blown away…"

He cracked up at his own joke. The rest of us stared at him, shaking our heads slowly, and smiling.

Then there was a moment of silence, when we all looked back at the wreckage. Gazzy let out a whoop of joy; Fang grinned to himself… and Anastasia gave a sharp intake of breath that only I heard.

_What is it? _I thought.

She raised a shaking finger. _Isn't that…?_

I looked in the direction she pointed, and, with my keen raptor vision, I saw two figures staring back up at us, four tiny figures in the sky. I focused.

One of them was covered in scales and blood. Subject twenty-seven. And, as I looked down at the other one, I nearly blacked out again.

* * *

**_So guys... can you guess who it is? Answer comes in the next chapter, already all written, but I'm going to be mean and wait for reviews first. Want the next chapter? I'll trade it for your awesome reviews...!_**

**_LOVE YOU GUYS. I can't believe you're still reading this. But I'm gonna keep going just for you. It'll be over soon, though. I don't want it to be more than 40 chapters._**

**_So? Reviews? PLEASE????_**


	31. Alive

**_Now THIS... this is some pretty good updating I have going on here :) We may even have ourselves a RECORD._**

**_So? Some people guessed our good old friend Supey (aka, the SUPERIOR)... And I got guesses like, and I QUOTE, 'Jebby-dearest', which got me laughing. A lot... as well as a guess at the Director. Interesting... interesting... MOST people guessed our first, but no one knows... apart from me. UNTIL YOU READ ON. Sooo. Have fun reading! Were you right / wrong ? Read on to find out!_**

**Alive**

It _couldn't _be.

"But that's… that's the…" I stammered. _"No. _It's impossible. That's… It _isn't_… An optical illusion is what it is. Sure. Because things like this…"

"Don't happen," finished Anastasia, nodding hysterically.

She grabbed my arm as I swayed precariously in mid-air. I blinked slowly, then brushed a finger across my aching head – a huge bump throbbed there. Apparently, when I had fallen, I had hit my head pretty hard, and was only beginning to feel the effects fully now.

"You okay?" she asked me, concerned.

I looked over at her, my eyelids half-closed, seeing double of everything in front of me. I shook my head no, and everything blurred into each other. A sharp pain suddenly erupted from my cheek with a resounding _crack – _Anastasia had slapped me, hard, with her other hand.

_Get a grip, Angel, _she thought. _Come on. You can't be like this now._

I opened my eyes again, my hand now on my stinging cheek. But as I looked around, everything swam into focus, and I smiled. Pain really brought things into perspective.

_And talking about bringing things into perspective… _thought Anastasia.

It all came flooding back. I glanced downwards again, and the two figures were still there, staring back up at us.

I swore loudly, and Fang and Gazzy, who had been busily discussing the bomb – well, _Gazzy _was busily chatting away, while Fang seemed to be tuned out from all that was around him – turned, finally figuring out that something was wrong.

"What's up?" Gazzy asked, frowning. "Liked my little display?"

"It's…" Anastasia trailed off, and pointed her finger downwards.

Fang and Gazzy looked down, then looked up again, incredulous.

"No,"said Fang quietly, firmly. _"No. _I thought you said…"

"Why does this keep _happening _to us?" Gazzy burst out. "That person down there, standing next to the scaly man… that _can't _be –"

"– The Superior?" I finished in a whisper. "The evil old cow who we saw _die _before our very _eyes?"_

"She was freaking _incinerated," _snarled Anastasia. "We saw it. There were only ashes left. Her heart had _stopped. _She was as dead as you can get."

"If she's dead," scoffed Fang, "I'm the President of the United States."

"She _was, _okay?" I snapped. "Like Ari was, before he… you know."

There was a moment of silence.

Fang, being ever the calm, composed flock member, just glared at nothing in particular, his dark, confused eyes the only evidence of any emotion, the only giveaway that he was capable of feeling anything at that moment; Anastasia was furiously gnawing on her lower lip, her wings suddenly stretched out tighter, anxious; the Gasman, too, seemed jumpy, glancing down over and over again to the scene below.

And me?

I was just staring at each of them in turn, waiting for someone – _anyone – _to say something. It was the Gasman that finally did.

"But Ari still had a _body, _you know? You can't bring _ashes _back to life, Angel."

"Well," I said numbly. "That's what _we _thought. Otherwise we would've… I don't know. Done something else, I guess."

"So," mumbled Anastasia, with a wry smile, "Apparently we were wrong. Gazzy, come on. Get real. You would've done the same thing. You wouldn't have thought that they could resurrect _ashes._"

"But –"

"No," she cut in. "Don't be like that. You _would've."_

"I would've made sure that she was properly dead," he corrected. "You guys just didn't check. I'm guessing she just made a quick getaway while you weren't looking, scattered ashes, hid close by, and you thought she was dead."

"Are you trying to imply," she snarled, "that we weren't _careful?"_

"Maybe I am," he fired back. "What other explanation can there be?"

"Maybe she _was _resurrected, Gazzy," she retorted angrily, her blue eyes flashing white for a second.

_Man. I thought you'd learned to control your skills, Stace._

_Shut it, Angel, _she fired back, and rounded on the Gasman again.

I, exactly like Fang had done, tuned out of their argument.

Subject twenty-seven's voice ran through my head.

_Oh, she's not_ dead_… Her body over there might be fried, but she's not dead… Angel, you know better than anyone else that people can come back from the dead, don't you?... I _love_ her…_

Fang's voice swooped in through my mind, shaking me out of my stupor.

"I need a drink. Something _strong."_

"Well," said Gazzy, reaching into his pockets. "I've got four cans of Red Bull, if anyone wants some. I mean, it's not exactly what you _want, _Fang, but…"

He shrugged, and threw us each a can. We tapped furiously at the circle of metal at the top to pop all the bubbles, before popping the cans open. Fang tapped his so hard, that it actually broke open, and fizzed up all over his hand.

"Great," he said sarcastically. "Now I'm all sticky."

We chugged down the Red Bull in silence.

I didn't even think to ask the Gasman how in the hell he'd shoved four cans down his pockets. This was _Gazzy. _As in Gazzy, of the Gasman and Iggy, official flock bombers. By now, I just went with it. But Anastasia, of course, wasn't so clued-in on all this.

"Gazzy," she said. "How did you cram all these cans into your _pockets?"_

It seemed like their argument was over.

"Oh," said the Gasman. "It's not just those _cans _I have in here. That's just the tip of the iceberg." He pointed back at the still-smoking debris of the second 'School'. _"That _was the mother load."

"But _how –"_

"A bomber never reveals his secrets," said Gazzy mysteriously.

"No," said Anastasia, wagging her finger and grinning. "A _magician _never reveals his secrets. A bomber can, so go ahead."

"It _could _be magic, though," said the Gasman, "You never know… Gazzy the Voodoo Man. Loving it."

Fang was being ominously silent. Not a first.

But then, finally, he spoke up. "We need to tell the others about the Superior."

And… we all came crashing back into reality.

"I _need _to find out how they're doing it," said Gazzy. "Because then, if one of us…" He shuddered. "Well, if one of us goes the same way, let's just say, it's all good. They can come back."

"But how," said Fang, "Do we fight an un-killable enemy?"

"We can't," I said. Then I turned to Anastasia. "Do _you _have any idea how they're doing it?"

"No," she said ruefully. "Now I think about it, the Superior never really talked to me about other things. It was always the flock she talked about, and… Subject twenty-seven. _God," _she added. "I was so _freaking _stupid."

"Hey," said the Gasman. "It's not _your _fault."

There were tears gathering up in her eyes, but she blinked them away, smiled evilly.

"No, it _is. _And I'm gonna see that those two get _everything _they deserve."

"Hold it," I said quickly, and Gazzy grabbed her arm like she had done to mine, as she attempted to speed towards them. "Let's get back to the flock. Us three are pretty bashed up… and Fang, you can't take the two of them on by yourself. Come on. Let's go. Maybe we'll leave this place for a bit, and when we're all better, we'll come back and punch and hit and kick 'em to kingdom come."

"Whoa, there, Max," joked Gazzy.

Anastasia punched her right fist into her left hand. "I like it. Simple, smooth, and they get their asses kicked. Lovely."

Fang didn't say anything, but inclined his head in the direction of the cliffs.

"Come on," said Gazzy, and we began to fly once more.

And as I glanced back down at Subject twenty-seven and the Superior again, I could've sworn they were grinning like there was no tomorrow.

* * *

The first thing we saw when we landed on the edge of the cave was a bloody mess… and was that _vomit_? I stared at it, horrified. While we were gone, what had happened? Had… had the Erasers come and…?

I swallowed. The thought was too awful to contemplate.

"Max…" I whispered. "Iggy, Nudge, Total..."

"How could this have happened?" Anastasia said, looking as horror-struck as I was. "I can't believe it."

The Gasman, however, was grinning at Fang. "So it happened, then."

"I guess," he replied, smiling slightly, too. _"Finally."_

What were they _talking _about? I tried to concentrate, to listen to their thoughts, but my head was still pounding from the hits I'd received earlier.

I couldn't hear a damn thing.

I glanced over at Anastasia. She was livid. I guessed the same thing was happening to her.

I swerved around to face them, fuming. "It happened?_ What_ happened? Why're you _smiling? _Max and Iggy and Nudge and Total… _Look at this! _They've been attacked and –"

Gazzy cracked up. _"Attacked?"_

Even Fang smirked. "Not likely."

"What's going _on?" _Anastasia asked. "And what's so freaking _funny?"_

I felt tears welling up in my eyes. "They're gone…"

"_Gone?" _The Gasman was holding his aching sides, doubling over with laughter. "They're… _g-gone…"_

"Will you two _quit _it?" Anastasia burst out. "Just tell us what's going on."

Just then, four very familiar faces emerged from the deepest parts of the cave. Max… Iggy… Nudge… Total… And _they _were all beaming, too.

"_What," _Anastasia began, exasperated, "Is making everyone so _happy?"_

"And what," I added, "Is with all the freaking blood, if you're all alive and smiling and _whole?"_

Max grinned, rushed forwards, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Fang briefly on the lips. Fang turned bright crimson. "Thank God you guys are back. Shame you missed it, though."

"_Lucky _you missed it," muttered Total.

I looked down at him. He looked pretty sick… which explained the vomit.

"Missed _what?" _I asked. "God, would you just _tell _us already?"

I looked carefully at each of them, trying to figure out what they were thinking, since blood was still thudding loudly in my ears, blocking out the trains of their thoughts.

Total looked like crap, but was beaming all the same; Max looked incredibly relieved; Nudge looked exhausted, but she was grinning broadly; and Iggy… well, there was a huge, ecstatic smile on his face like there was nothing wrong in the world at all right now.

_Wrong, _my subconscious perked up. _Global warming, terrorism, underage drinking, child abuse… Not to mention what you just saw. The Superior's still alive…_

Hold it.

I looked back at Nudge. Was it just me, or did her pregnancy bump look much higher, like she was holding it in her arms at her chest… I ventured closer. Nudge held what she was holding out to me, and I recognised Iggy's shirt. Part of the shirt was pushed aside, to show.... was that a _nose? _And, oh God…

I stumbled backwards, my mind reeling.

"Was that…?" I whispered, and Nudge nodded.

"What?" asked Anastasia, coming forwards to stand next to me. "What's going on?"

"See for yourself," Nudge said, smiling, and held out her arms again.

"Holy _crap!" _she burst out.

"Not in front of the baby," Iggy quickly said, his expression turning into one of panic. "Don't _swear."_

Max laughed, and I looked up, smiled. She was leaning against Fang, her back to his stomach, his chin on her shoulder, and his arms loosely around her waist, his hands entwined with hers.

"Finally," said Total, in a TV commentator / news reporter voice. "The great Maximum Ride and the Fangster are not afraid of PDA. Was it the influence of the latter being in a near-death situation… no, because we have one of those daily… So then it must've been the bond of love you see between this family within the flock family… a trio made up of a loving mother, an adoring father, and a beautiful Tiger –"

I stopped laughing abruptly. "A _Tiger, _Total?"

"Oh," said Nudge. "Didn't we mention the baby's name?"

"No," I said, excited. "And is it a guy or a chick?"

"A guy," said Nudge, annoyed. "And don't call him a guy-chick. His name is Tiger Dynamite Storm."

A grin twitched at my lips. I exchanged glances with Anastasia.

"Cute name," she said.

"Really cute," I agreed. "And no guy-chicks anymore, I swear."

"Well," said Total, back in full commentator-mode. "We'll have to wait and see, because sometime soon we may have another guy-chick brewing in the womb of our one and only Maxie, the mother of the flock, and we may have two parents-to-be among us now in the forms of the lovely couple, Maximum Ride and Fang –"

He yelped, and everyone laughed. Fang had chucked his shoe at him, and he had jumped to avoid it.

Total kept a straight face. "I'll be back the same time next week, folks, on news of Tiger, our one and only developing child. Or, who knows? By then it could be plural. The developing child_ren. _Stay tuned for _Scrubs."_

He grabbed the shoe in his jaws, and threw it back to Fang, who stretched out, caught it, and slid it back on, grinning.

Everyone was, now. Grinning, that is.

I guess we were all happy about the guy-chick – sorry, _Tiger – _and were cracking up at Total's teasing, and… I don't know. Just felt _relieved _that, for once in our messed-up lives, we were together… with no interruptions from hairy wolves with guns and orange-eyed Erasers and scaly mutants…

So I didn't ruin the moment. And neither did the Gasman, Anastasia or Fang.

The others deserved to be happy and laughing, and clueless about a certain resurrected someone.

We wouldn't tell them about the Superior just yet.

* * *

**_So she's back... BACK... and if you want to find out more, review!!!!!!!!!!!!!_**

**_I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING. This story's getting all predictable, blah blah blah... But any guesses on HOW she's managed to come back?? She was ASHES, people. ASHES!! :)_**

**_ps. And Read4UrLife?? I TRIED. I really, really TRIED. I hope it's getting better...? Is it?? _**


	32. Blue

**_You know what happened to me today? I met someone called LOUIS. And I immediately thought of scaly mutants. He turned out to be AWESOME, though. So I guess there can be great Louis's in this world. Only one of them - who also happens to be FICTIONAL - is an evil mutant who goes by the name of Subject Twenty-Seven... Man, I hate that guy._**

**_So. Dive straight back in._**

**Blue**

We told them the next morning.

"She… came back to life?" repeated Nudge, eyes wide. "After _dying?"_

"Yeah," said Anastasia. "And she didn't just die. She was a pile of ashes. _Ashes!"_

"But this means…" Max trailed off. She cleared her throat "Fight or flight?"

"The enemy can come back to life, Max," said the Gasman, rolling his eyes. "I vote flight."

"And if something happens to all of us," said Nudge, "What's going to happen to my little Tiger?"

"Yeah," Iggy said, slipping an arm around her. "We've got to think about him, too. We have a _baby, _now. He's not gonna be able to take care of himself. I don't think we should fight against a renewable enemy. Let's go away."

"Far, far away," agreed Nudge, holding Tiger closer to her chest.

The baby, utterly unaware of what we were talking about, was beaming around at all of us, clutching Iggy's finger in a death-grip. I looked up at him. Strangely enough, he didn't seem to mind. Instead, he was wearing an expression of utmost gooey, cheesy joy. Behind him, Anastasia opened her mouth wide and put her index finger in, making retching noises. She caught my eye and grinned. Nudge turned and frowned.

"You see," she said to Max, completely serious. "The very thought of staying and fighting is making Anastasia feel sick. We should go."

She smothered her laugh with a fake cough; I thought about the situation. It brought me crashing back into reality.

I glanced over at Max. "They're right. There _is _the guy-chick to think about, now. I guess I'm with them."

Nudge glowered at me, and I quickly muttered, "Sorry. I meant _Tiger."_

"So you guys all vote for flight?" Max said. "Total, Fang, Anastasia… what about you?"

"She said flight," said Nudge quickly. "Remember?"

Total shuddered. "I've actually had enough of Virginia, Max. Let's go somewhere nice… like Venice. _Vienna. _Someplace starting with a _V."_

"Like Virginia?" the Gasman offered. "That's a nice place, and it starts with a _V."_

Total realised his mistake, and rolled his eyes. "I meant somewhere _other _than places we've already been. Maybe we could start a tradition. This year we'll go to places beginning with V, and next year we could…"

"So," said Max, interrupting him. "Flight?"

He sighed, nodded. "Venice would be _great. _I can just imagine it now… Riding on a gondola, the water serene and clear beneath us, the soft tunes of a guitar playing somewhere nearby, the sky above us a gorgeous cerulean, with white, candyfloss clouds…"

"_Right," _said Max. "So far, practically everyone wants to run away. Fang? I need an opinion."

He looked down at her from the rock he was perching on, then lowered his hand and traced his thumb down the length of her jaw. She smiled a smile that horribly reminded me of Iggy's. Love really did get to some people.

"I'm fine with whatever," he said. "Anything you want, I'll do."

She blushed. "Sure."

I couldn't help it. I peeked into her mind, curiousity getting the better of me - I honestly _needed _to know how someone like Max could become like this... I never thought it was possible. And... I was rewarded with a rush of recent memories. Apparently the phrase 'Anything you want, I'll do' had been used many, many times by Fang before... but in _other _situations.

I drew away, gagging, and close by, Anastasia was doing the same. I smiled. So I wasn't the only one who'd had the pleasure of looking into Max's mind.

The Gasman looked outraged, and muttered under his breath, "What happened to 'I need an opinion'?"

Total heard him, and grinned. "It's love."

"And Anastasia?" finished Max, ignoring Nudge's expression. "What about you?"

She clenched her fists, and I knew – without having to pry – that she was thinking of Subject twenty-seven and her ex-mother. "I want to stay and fight."

"That makes two of us," said Max. "But I guess we _do _have the guy– _baby. _I said _baby_," she quickly added, as Nudge opened her mouth to speak. "But they'll come after us. 'Course they will."

"Not," said Total, with a gleam in his eyes, "If we're in Venice."

* * *

Later that night, at around ten, I was supposed to be asleep. As was everyone else. We had a long journey tomorrow, Max had said, so we should rest. I surveyed the cave.

Total was lying close to a small fire, snoring, a small black bundle of fur and flickering shadows. Anastasia and Gazzy were talking in hushed whispers together, catching up on missed years. Nudge was utterly dead to the world, her head laying in Iggy's lap, who was sitting back against a wall, eyes lightly closed, but not asleep, one arm curled protectively around the baby he was holding, the other pale hand stroking Nudge's dark hair. Max and Fang were lying on their backs with their eyes shut, too, next to each other. There was a small space between them, and only the tips of their fingers were touching.

And I was once again on look-out duty, sitting on the edge of the cliff, my legs dangling in the open air, and my wings out and fluttering in the night breeze.

I concentrated on Max and Fang, braced myself, and listened in.

There was only one thought in Fang's head. _Max. _

I smiled a little to myself, and tuned in on her. Immediately, a huge flood of thoughts and feelings poured into me, and I gripped the edge of the cliff for support.

_Am I doing this right…? This feels so good, lying here with our hands touching, but I want to kiss him. I… I love him. I want him to let me lie against him, and stroke my hair, like Iggy's doing to Nudge… Total was talking about easy PDA earlier on, but this… Maybe Fang was more embarrassed than I thought. Maybe that's why… Hang on. What if I lean over and kiss him now, all spontaneous? Yeah. Why not… But what if he's ASLEEP? How bad would –_

_Chill, Max, _I thought. _He's thinking of you. Just kiss him already. The last thing he is right now is asleep._

_Really? _Then she frowned. _Angel… how long've you been listening into my thoughts?_

_Not long. _I smirked. _Why? What were you thinking?_

_Uh… nothing, _she thought hastily. _Bye, now, Angel._

_You know, I could easily look and see…_

_Okay, okay. _She hesitated. _It was all about Fang. But… uh… things you probably don't want to see. Word to the wise? Those thoughts are better off being private._

_Oh, _I thought. _OH. Max, don't you worry. I'll stay way clear from… that._

I'd already had too much experience with looking into things Max would rather stay 'private'.

_Thanks, Angel, _she thought.

_No worries. And Max? _I added.

_Yeah?_

_Better hurry up and kiss him soon, or he _will _fall asleep. _I looked back over my shoulder at the two of them, lying there. _And I'll get out of your head, so no need to worry about me seeing fireworks and hearing choirs of angels singing along with you. You just enjoy them on your own._

I left Max's mind, plunging back into my own, and watched as her fingers tightened around his, and she pulled him nearer to her, closing the gap between them. His eyes flew wide open, filled with surprise, then they smouldered black.

"I want you to be close to me, Fang," she whispered.

"Max," he murmured back. "I'm always close to you."

It was such a line – I felt like gagging again. But this was Fang. A whole new Fang. An in-love Fang. I guessed I could cut him slack just this once, for one cheesy line. And it made Max happy, so that made it okay.

They kissed softly, then, and I looked away, back into the darkness of the night. I'd promised Max her privacy.

_And there's something else, too…_

I quickly banished the thought. _No. There's nothing else. _But the words had stuck deep. I knew exactly what it was. In the flock, there were nine people now – Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, me, the Gasman, Anastasia, Total, and Tiger.

Max and Fang were together. So were Nudge and Iggy. The flock was pairing up. But my turn would never come. Not with Gazzy or Anastasia, for obvious reasons, Total was a _dog, _and Tiger had been born yesterday, to people who were practically my _siblings._

Which was probably why – while it lasted – I'd liked Louis so much. I didn't get to know him that well, which was probably for the best, since he turned out to be an evil scaly mutant who later tried to kill me, my sister, my brother and Fang, but I liked him because I _wanted _to fall in love. I, like hundreds of other girls out there, had become not exactly a _romantic, _but… I guess you could say that I wanted someone to want me back, like Max and Fang.

But if I'd pulled that spontaneously-kissing move on anyone, they'd probably whack me around the face.

I sighed. If only Gazzy hadn't been my brother… _No, stop. _I didn't just think that. _Ew._

And if I ever even found anyone, they wouldn't be like me, and we wouldn't be able to fly together, like Iggy and Nudge…

The world was so unfair.

I heard the beat of tiny wings, and, a second later, a sparrow landed next to me, its feet curled around the edge of the cliff. Except… this sparrow was _blue._

I gave a small smile. _Stace?_

The sparrow cocked its head. _Angie?_

_Angie's WAY worse than Stace, _I thought. _It's Angel._

_Hi. I'm Anastasia. Not Stace._

_What happened to Gazzy?_

_He fell asleep. _The sparrow – Anastasia – fluffed her feathers proudly. _Isn't blue_ so _my colour? _

I laughed. _Like hell it is. Blue's _my _colour._

_We share so many of the same things. _She paused. _It's kind of weird, I guess. But then, at the same time, really, really great._

_Like you're not the only mutant freak who can read minds, turn into blue sparrows, talk to animals and breathe underwater? _I thought with a smile. _Yeah, I feel the same, too._

_There's another thing we share, _she thought. _You know, Angel, I want to make it up to you. I'm so sorry._

_For what? _I thought, confused. _For being my sister? For being born?_

_For… you know… the whole betrayal thing._

_It wasn't your fault, _I finally thought. _I just… can you tell me how they tracked us, so we know for when we leave tomorrow?_

The sparrow nodded. _Well, we're sort of connected, you and I, through our mental bonds, because we're twins and all, and because we're both mind-readers, 'influencers' and can do what you called 'PE' – _

_How did you know about that?_

_More later, _she answered. _Anyway, since we're both mind people and both twins, we're more connected than normal people or some crap… I can't really remember. And so I could always track your mind – that answers your PE question –, wherever you were. I knew what you were thinking, where you were… everything. And I could sometimes influence you, too._

_When my wings got all tired… _I exhaled slowly. _That's why, then…_

_It was all mental, _she assured me. _And now, since they don't have me there anymore, and I'm on your side, you're safe. Besides, now you know what I was doing, and you can recognise my mind, it's easier for you to stop it. I think the flock's much safer, now._

_But they have technology that lets them bring ashes back to life, _I thought, frustrated. _Tracking us again, and dragging us back to School No. 2 is going to be like taking candy from a baby._

_No, Angel, _she thought._ The Superior had this massive project going on. She was trying to figure out how to make mutants more human, you know, so that she could actually turn the mutants back into proper humans. I thought it was for me, but now I know it was all for Tee. That's part of the reason she kept their 'affair' secret. She wouldn't have wanted people to know that she, the invincible Superior, was with a mutant, who was genetically less than half human. Once she made him human, they could go public. And Gazzy's bomb blew up the place… and all her research._

_So? _I asked.

_So I'm guessing that's gonna be the priority, _she thought. _They'll find us eventually, but only after they're back on track. It could take years. We could find new identities, live as humans… it wouldn't be great, I know, but we'd be free for longer._

_No, _I thought. _We'd never be able to live as humans._

_But am I gonna look forward to the day we kick the Superior's whitecoated butt... once and for all, _she thought. A second later, she was in her normal form again – the blue sparrow was gone – and she was hugging me. _We'll do fine. We're twins, you and me. Like I said, we have an unbreakable bond. And the flock've been hunted down before, but are still doing great. Some day, Angel, the Superior and her little toy boy are going to go _down. _And we'll be the ones who'll make it happen._

I grinned. _I sure am looking forward to it, too, Stace._

* * *

**And there's another chap.... and, as usual, I'm going to be ever-hopeful, and ask for reviews!! Please, you lovely, awesome people out there?**


	33. Graffiti

**Graffiti**

Max's voice rang out the next morning, crisp and clear.

"O_kay. _I want everyone up and ready in five, four, three, two one, _zero_."

No one moved.

"Right, then." A smile played across her lips, then she turned to the person beside her, and clamped her hands over her mouth and nose. "Give it to them, Gazzy."

The Gasman grinned, swivelled around so he was facing the other way, then let rip with one of his _ripest… _achievements. The same look of utter disgust instantly flashed across each face – save Max's – and everyone either struggled to their feet – like Fang – or leapt up, revolted – like Anastasia.

"What was… _Gazzy?"_ she burst out, and then gagged. "I heard about this, but I never thou– _ew. _Just _ew."_

Tiger began to bawl, and Nudge shot the iciest glare in his direction. Iggy was instantly all over the baby, holding him close and mumbling soothing words.

"Make him _stop," _hissed Max. "We can't let them suspect that we're leaving now."

I glanced around, confused. It was morning, sure, but it was still _dark. _We could have had precious extra minutes asleep… I pointed this out to her, and she nodded vigorously.

"Ex_actly. _They wouldn't think we'd get up _now _to leave. We've got to go as soon as we can. Now shut the guy-ch– I'm _sorry, _I didn't mean it. I'm just stressed. Let's hurry up and leave."

"Max?" the Gasman said timidly.

"_What?"_

He gave a bashful grin. "I'm just so _hungry."_

At this, Nudge's eyes popped wide, and Anastasia's stomach let out a massive growl. Even Fang looked hopeful.

Max sighed. "We'll go raid KFC. And _then, _we're leaving for–"

"_Venezia," _Total cut in proudly. His eyes lit up, and he gushed, "The city of river-roads and gondolas and Venetian Masks and beautiful, Italian bitches and–"

"Total," said Iggy. _"Language. _We don't want Tiger's first words to be swearwords."

"I wasn't swearing," protested Total, looking completely appalled.

I shook my head, smiling. "Uh, yes, you were."

"As far as I remember, bitch _is _a swearword," Anastasia continued. "And Total, saying 'The city of beautiful, Italian bitches'? Can I say _sexist?"_

"As far as I remember," he argued, "A _bitch _is a female dog. I'm not attracted to _humans, _you guys. God." He shuddered. "No _way. _Not at all. Although, I could make an exception for Megan Fox…"

All of us burst out laughing. All except Maxie.

"Come _on," _she said desperately. "We-have-to_-go."_

Iggy walked towards the edge, and peered over. Lights were blinking on, and he could see the shadows of people moving around cast across the white walls.

"We should," he said. "And _quickly. _There doesn't seem to be anyone asleep down there. So let's hurry, before anything happens."

It was funny that just as he said this, something darted out of the shadows, grabbed Iggy, and threw him across the cave. Maybe funny was the wrong word. Let's go for _ironic._

Nudge screamed as Tiger went flying through the air, as Iggy fell unconscious and his arms went limp around him.

Anastasia's head whipped around to see what was going on.

The Gasman looked up, his expression terrifying.

Fang swore under his breath.

Total began to bark wildly.

Tiger, strangely enough, seemed to be enjoying his flight through the air, and was trying – and failing – to catch more height with his tiny wings.

I stared at the creature, trying to infiltrate its mind. One thought: _stop… stop… stop…_

And Max, of course, leapt into action.

She launched herself at the Eraser, her limbs slicing through the air to land hits, punches and kicks across its body.

At that moment, more of them emerged from the entrance of the cave, their gazes fixed, intent, on us.

This seemed to throw everyone into movement.

Nudge sprinted forwards and caught Tiger, just before he could reach the ground.

Anastasia ran to Iggy, and positioned herself in full battle-stance before him, so that he was protected.

Gazzy lunged at them, bellowing insults at the top of his voice.

Fang cracked his knuckles, and punched one of the Erasers full in the face.

Total had attached himself by the teeth to one of their tails, and was swinging violently around the cave.

Tiger, seeing the Erasers, took on an expression reminiscent of Jackie Chan in _Rush Hour._

I grappled at another Eraser, my fingernails leaving bloody trails down his face.

"You're going _down, _bitches," Gazzy roared, swiping blindly at them.

Fang flicked an almost bemused glance over at him, then proceeded to grab two Erasers by their legs, snapped out his wings, and swung around so powerfully that they both went crashing into the rocky walls around us.

_Angel, _thought Max, and I braced myself as she pushed an Eraser straight for me. I grinned evilly, pulled my fist back, and delivered a crunching uppercut to the underside of its jaw.

_Max, _I thought.

I planted two hands on its shoulders and shoved. In one swift movement, she thrust her hands out, and it let out a bloodcurdling scream. With a grunt, she sent it stumbling forwards again. And, at this, I rammed two fingers into the side of its head – a pressure point. The Eraser shuddered, then its eyes rolled back into its head, and it collapsed.

_Nicely done, _she thought.

I smiled.

Max suddenly drove her elbow backwards… right into an incoming Eraser's face. Its nose fractured with a sickening _crack, _and it squealed in pain. Not a moment of hesitation, and she had spun around, slamming the heel of her shoe against its cranium.

The fight was so intense that I didn't see the Gasman crumple, whilst trying to wrestle with no more than six Erasers; nor did I witness Fang shoving Nudge and Tiger outside through a gap in the numbers, forcing her to escape for the sake of her son. I was unaware that Total was a heap of blood and matted fur on the ground, and Fang, though still fighting ferociously back, was succumbing under a heap of Erasers. I didn't notice that Max, too, was falling, her eyes slipping shut, or see that an Eraser with five graffiti canisters was spraying a colourful message across one wall.

I knocked out one more of them. And _then _I saw what was going on.

I turned slowly, taking in the fact that the flock were all down, and Erasers, all spattered with blood, were now advancing on me.

A single, horribly familiar voice halted them in their tracks. _"Stop."_

They parted, Red-Sea-like, and through the opening came Subject Twenty-seven, grinning widely and pressing a handgun to the side of my sister's head.

"You're going to follow my orders," he began, "Or say _sayonara _to your lovely twin."

"You freaking–"

"No," he interrupted calmly. "No childish insults. Or any fast moves. Is that clear?"

"I never thought," I snarled, "That someone like _you–"_

"Do you actually _want _her to live?" he asked. "Then I suggest you _do what I say."_

"Don't–" Anastasia shouted, but her voice cut off as Subject Twenty-seven cocked the gun.

"Fine." My voice came out strangled.

Anastasia, still fearfully eyeing the gun, thought _no._

_Oh my God. _I would've rolled my eyes if the situation were not so… life or death. _You don't have to play the hero. The flock's lost. I'm not gonna let them kill you._

_But–_

_No, Stace, you don't understand, _I snapped. _If they kill you, nothing changes. All that happens is that I try to struggle. There are too many Erasers. You dying doesn't accomplish anything._

There was a flicker of silence, and then, _fine._

_Good. Just don't_ _try and pull anything off, okay? Let me handle this._

Another grumbled _fine._

I faced Subject Twenty-seven, looking him dead in the eye. "What do you want me to do?"

He smiled. "Good, good. Finally playing by the rules, are we?"

"This isn't some sort of sick _game," _I shot back. "I just want you to tell me what you guys have in mind."

"Simple," he said. "You two come with us, back to The Base."

"The Base?"

"The _Base. _The place down there."

_School Number Two, _thought Anastasia. _The hellhole. _

"Ah," I said knowledgably. "The _hellhole."_

He took this as a form of insult, and pressed the gun into her head. She stiffened, paling.

"_No!" _I burst out. "I meant… I'm sorry. Just _don't."_

"An apology from _you?" _He shook his head slowly, chuckling to himself. "This is a historic day."

I chose to ignore this. "And what're you gonna do with us down there?"

_Duh, _she thought. _What d'you think, Sherlock?_

"Experiments?" I breathed.

He avoided the question.

"Angel," he said instead. "What is the most important thing in this world for you? The thing you'll stake your life for?"

"The flock," I answered automatically, curious to where this was going.

You know what they say. Curiousity killed the cat.

But hey. I was never one for clichés.

"And you, _babe?" _he asked Anastasia, his voice dripping with sugary innocence.

She scowled. "My _family."_

"And by that," he continued, "Do you mean your family by 98%?"

"Look who's talking, Mr. _49.5% _human," she fired back.

Furious, he jerked his hand upwards, and fired five shots into the ceiling, his wielding arm an arc in the air. A shower of dust and tiny modules of rock burst from the marks.

We both froze, the gunshot sounds triggering some sort of a sixth sense within us.

"Way to go," I whispered, because saying stupid things at stupid times was one of the quirks of being me.

Subject Twenty-seven exhaled in exasperation, and swung his arm, so that a moment later, a bullet had found its way into the exposed chest of one of the surrounding Erasers. A crimson web bloomed there, and it looked up, perplexed, before falling with an audible _thud _to the ground.

My jaw fell open.

I never gave a thought to killing Erasers; it was like a second nature to me by now. But seeing this… seeing someone shoot an ally in cold blood, not even sparing them a glance, and without any threat from them whatsoever… it was like, I didn't even know how to describe it… something beyond cruel.

Anastasia's expression mirrored my own.

"How _could _you?" she hissed. "I'm not _for _Erasers, but that guy was on your side."

He was glaring at me the whole time. "Now do you see that I'm serious?"

I nodded numbly, biting back the comment 'I know you're not even human, but that kind of cold blood _really _gets to me."

"So, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," he went on. "You guys would do anything for the flock, right? Especially as, it seems, you have a young new member."

"What are you suggesting?" I asked suspiciously.

"You two come with us, I don't blow off any heads, and the flock – apart from you – go free," he said. "We'll never bother them again. They'll get a taste of _true _freedom."

It sounded like heaven.

But it wasn't in the cards for me.

_Sounds good. _Anastasia seemed to be thinking along the same lines as I was.

_Tell me something I don't know, _I replied. _It sounds insane. But then again, you haven't been on the run for sixteen years._

I felt her mind turn guilty, bitter, regretful. I knew she was sensitive about this.

_Sorry, _I quickly thought.

_Should we do it? _she asked.

I could taste her own answer on the tip of my tongue, we were that close.

_You think we should, _I stated.

She didn't bother to deny it. _Sure I do._

_Then some of us get out of this, _I agreed. _And this doesn't all end a bloody mess._

_Let's tell him, then._

_Max isn't going to like this one bit._

_She should be thankful, _she thought. _We're saving her life. Now she can wake up in the morning, instead of being shot apart by our ex._

_That blasted ex, _I thought, and I felt her smile slightly.

_You tell him, _she thought.

"We'll do it," I said aloud.

Subject Twenty-seven grinned. "Let's go, then. And I'm warning you. All these Erasers are coming with us, so if you pull a smart one, you'll be dead before you can say _fried chicken."_

We began to walk as a group, and, all of a sudden, I stumbled. Swearing, I glanced down to see what I'd tripped over. It was a graffiti canister. Colour, blue.

A conversation from only last night skittered through my head.

* * *

_Isn't blue_ so _my colour? _

I laughed. _Like hell it is. Blue's _my _colour._

"Tee?"

He stopped, and glowered over his shoulder at me.

"What _now?"_

I picked up the can. "If it's okay with you, could I just quickly leave a message for the flock?"

"Can I, too?" Anastasia perked up.

"No freaking _way," _he snarled at her. Then he turned to me. "Fine. I'll give you one minute. Tell them never to come looking for you, or whatever. Maybe it's a good idea."

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat, and then I moved swiftly to the one place that hadn't already been covered in graffiti – the place above where Iggy was still slumped.

I stretched up and started to spray.

* * *

_Hey guys. It's me, Angel._

_So the bad guys came, and did all this stuff. We should've really listened to you, Max, and left earlier, but that's all in the past now, so we can't change it, blah, blah, blah._

_I only have a minute, which is why I'm gonna make this quick. Subj. 27 gave us – that's me and Stace – a choice. Either he blew us all to kingdom come with his gun, or the two of us go with them, and they leave the rest of you alone forever. Think about it. Freedom forever. Pretty great, huh? And you've gotta understand. You've got Tiger. He's newborn. Whatever you do, don't come after us, otherwise they'll come after the flock again, and it'll be terrible if they get to him. _

_D'you understand? If you come after us, you don't get freedom anymore._

_And, on a lighter note–_

_Have fun in Venice! Total, don't steal all the bitches' hearts (ha ha ha); Max, Fang… just get over your PDA-phobia. You're gonna be in ITALY, the definition of romance; Iggy, Nudge, Tiger, can we be godmothers? And when you're there, try the Straciatella-flavoured ice cream. Apparently it's insanely good._

_We'll be fine. We've got each other._

_We love you guys._

_See ya._

_XOXOX_

_~Angel~ __0:)_

_P.S. Total, I love you so, so, ridiculously much, and I'm so sorry for that stupid fight about Louis or Subj. 27 or whatever. He wasn't worth it. I'm so glad I had you there all those years. I think I'd be completely CRAZY if I had no one with me. You were an awesome friend. You were the one that found the flock in the end, remember? And you saved my life. I owe you so much. So I guess this is my payback. Find a beautiful Italian Chihuahua. And I know you love those sausage dogs, too. _

_

* * *

_

_Tell them hi from me, _thought Anastasia, then, after thinking it over, added, _Or I guess 'bye' is better… Say both. Tell them I'm glad I met them. And tell Gazzy that I never knew anything related to me could stink so bad. _

I didn't want to turn, even though I knew she could sense the tears running down my cheeks. _Sure._

_Oh, and Angel?_

_Yep?_

_Thanks so much for calling me Stace._

* * *

_P.P.S. Anastasia (she hates Stace, apparently) :D wants to say hi and bye, and she's glad she met you all. And she also wants to say to you, Gazzy, our awesome bro, that she never knew anything related to her could_

* * *

A bullet rammed itself an inch away from my foot, and I jumped.

"What the _hell?" _I burst out.

"Time's up," said Subject twenty-seven. "Get over here."

"Give me ten more seconds," I said. "Please?"

"I said," he snarled, "Time's _up."_

I spun on my heel to face the wall, trying to quickly finish my message, but I was too slow. Two long-fingered hands closed around my arms.

I dropped the can as two Erasers began dragging me away.

I didn't struggle.

I couldn't hide the tears anymore.

* * *

_**I guess that's it for chapter 33. What did you think? Review-worthy? Sorry for all the lines. I tried making the letters bigger, or pasting other fonts from Word, but this was the only way I could seperate message and reality.**_

* * *


	34. Aftermath

**__****_I wrote this one while listening to sad music, and it really put me in the mood, so if anyone out there likes listening to music while reading, I suggest SAD MUSIC HERE._**

**_Whoa. Right now, it seems like I'm on a bit of a roll, and I'm spouting out chapters like crazy, so the next chapter WILL be finished soon, and up if there are enough reviews to convince me...? _**

**_:) *evil smile* :D *evil laugh* :O *let's CONTINUE...*_**

**Aftermath**

**_Max POV_**

"Max!"

I moaned. _No… I don't want to get up. For God's sake, can't people see that even Max Ride needs to re–_

_Maximum._

I felt a jolt of surprise rush through my mind. _Voice? You never show up. What happened to that awesome vacation you were taking somewhere in the depths of my brain?_

_Maximum, _The Voice said firmly. _You should get up._

_For crying out–_

_I mean it. Right now, the flock needs you more than ever._

_Wha– _I was instantly focused. _Why?_

The Voice's voice – ha, how funny does _that _sound? – softened. _Just listen to them, Max._

_Voice. What's happened? _I hesitated. _You never call me Max._

_Listen. Listen, and you will hear._

_Don't go all philosophical on me, Voice, _I snapped. _Just tell me what's going on. _

The Voice didn't answer. Go figure.

So I took his advice. I tried to listen.

But… nothing.

_Really listen. Concentrate._

I tried to listen. I really did. But that voice I'd heard before… it was truly gone. I remembered what the Voice had told me about the flock needing me now 'more than ever'. And so I tried again. I tried to get some feeling back into myself, to reconnect with the real world.

And then, out of the blue, there it was. Gazzy's voice, begging me, pleading me, to wake up.

With Herculean effort, I slipped back into consciousness, at which I was rewarded the return of all feeling… including a rough shaking of the shoulders from the Gasman, and a throbbing pain all over.

"_Ow," _I said. "God, Gaz, would you _stop?" _

I opened my eyes.

Instantly, I felt like taking back what I just said. Because the Gasman looked like an eight year old again, when our lives had begun their ruin, when Angel was first taken from us. Before we began living in utter dread of... well, practically everything.

He was crying.

"Gazzy…" I reached out to him. "What…"

Then a burst of colour caught my eye, and I looked behind him, where a single message was scrawled: _Here lies a useless puppy. RIP. Rot in Piss._

And, beneath that, lying motionless on the ground, was Total.

I felt a rush of fear dart through me.

_No._

"Gazzy," I choked out. "Help me up. I need to… _Total."_

He nodded wordlessly, and grabbed my hand, pulling me up. Pain shot down my arm, and I bit my lip, fighting it away.

There was time to worry about myself later.

I strode over to him, and bent down. The Gasman was behind me, staring, horrified, at what seemed to be, under all the dried blood and what smelt strongly of Eraser leak – _Rot in Piss _was, apparently, a _literal _threat –, Total.

"Come on, Total," I said, shaking him gently. "Get up. Get _up. _There're a couple of cute bitches out here, and they really want to meet you. So _please? _Total, they're getting tired of waiting. If you don't wake up soon, they'll… they'll–"

My eyes filled with tears.

Who knew that one day I'd be crying over a dog?

But then again, Total was no ordinary dog.

"_Total," _I whispered. "Come on. If you hear me, just wag. One, tiny little wag. And then you can go back to sleep for a while. But after that, we're all going to Venice, just like you suggested. Italy, Total. _Europe. _You love Europe. But first, you've got to… Come _on." _I glared at the Gasman, even though he had nothing to do with any of this. "Why isn't he waking up? Gazzy, why can't he _get up?"_

"Max, I…"

_Total can't be… He's not…_

But the word was too painful even to think of.

The Gasman stared at me, and saw how, for the first time, the great Maximum Ride had turned into a pathetic girl.

Really. I was a pathetic girl.

"He was so–"

"He _was _nothing," interrupted Gazzy firmly, determined. "He _is _an awesome little dude. He just needs time. He's still recovering, okay?"

And so our roles had switched. I'd gone from comforter to comforted, and he'd gone from comforted to comforter.

_I have to be strong._

"I'm fine," I said after a pause. "I… Let's go check on the others. Are _you _okay?"

He tried to smile, trying to hide the gashes in his arms by crossing them. "I'm fine, Max. And you?"

"I'm great," I said, though great was as far from the truth as you could get.

But that's how it works, being a leader. You had to be strong all the time. My split-second breakdown hadn't gone so well for me. I had to be their rock. The flock all depended on me.

Ignoring all the other messages written on the walls, I hurried towards the person nearest to me – Nudge.

This surprised me. Hadn't I seen Fang pushing her out of the cave along with Tiger? Hadn't she escaped?

My heart beat a little quicker. And if she was _here, _what had happened to her son?

"Nudge," I said, shaking her. "Get _up. _Tiger's _starving. _He's crying his guts out. Come on, Nudge. Fine. You leave me with no other choice. I'm calling on the powers of Gazzy."

Something shifted within her. Her eyes sprung open, and her hands rushed fowards to grab the front of my shirt. She glowered up at me.

"No," she growled. "Max, you can call on anything _but _the powers of Gazzy."

A huge smile broke out across my face. _Thank God…_

Even the Gasman managed a tiny glimmer of a smile, although perhaps because of her comment, instead.

But Nudge, on the other hand, was now taking in my battered, bloody demeanour with a confused look.

It all dawned on her an instant later, and her expression snapped into understanding.

"Last night…" she breathed. "Fang tried to get me out of the cave with Tiger…"

"What happened?" I pressed.

"I couldn't leave you guys," she confessed, tears springing to her eyes. "No, Max, don't look at me like that. I felt like such a prat, running away. So I turned back, and the next thing I knew, something knocked me over the head right here – _Ow. _God, that hurts – and that's when I blacked out, I guess."

"And what happened to Tiger?"

I would address the fact that she had been ridiculously stupid to have come back later.

She forced her jacket open, and tucked under three layers of clothing, lying snuggled next to her skin, was the mocha-skinned, honey-haired little boy, sleeping with his fists tucked at his chin, his feathery wings folded, untouched, behind him. He hadn't been hurt at all.

At the sight of him, the tears in Nudge's eyes began to roll down her cheeks.

Yeah, yeah. It was an emotional day for all of us.

"Oh, God," she murmured. "If anything had happened to him… He's so beautiful…"

"Max," said Gazzy, then, interrupting the moment.

I turned around. "What?"

"I'm gonna go check on Fang," he said.

And, just like that, my heart sort of dropped into the deepest pits of my stomach. _Fang._

I stood up so quickly that I got a head rush, and, mumbled something incomprehensible to Nudge. Then, my legs not moving quick enough at all, I snapped my wings open, and glided swiftly across the cave, to where a familiar figure lay, dark hair all dishevelled, and blood streaked on the ground around him.

"_Fang," _I said desperately, shaking him harder than I'd shaken any of the others. "Fang, it's Max. I need to get up. _Please, please _get up."

Then, silent as a breath of air, he spoke. "Chill, Max…"

Usually, when people told me to 'chill' or 'calm down' or even, sometimes, 'cool it', it had the completely opposite effect. I lost it.

But now… those were the best two words I'd ever heard anyone say.

"Don't tell me to chill," I whispered, smiling. "You know I hate that."

"But you love _me,"_ he mumbled, and rolled over – I saw the pain flash across his face for one brief moment.

Then, grinning, he opened his eyes.

"Hey, Max."

And all I did – like some preppy, cheesy, love struck teenager – was stay there, smiling widely back like an absolute dork.

"So what happened?"

Once more, reality came crashing down on me.

I closed my eyes and moaned. "I…"

_No. Leader._

"I need to take care of everything," I finished. "You just stay here, and I'll go get everyone up, 'kay?"

I got up, but not before his hand jerked forwards and grabbed my arm. Something smouldered in his eyes.

"You're not letting me off easy this time, Maximum Ride," he growled. "Not like you always do. This time, I'm helping you."

"You need to rest–" I protested.

"So do you," he said. "And, besides, it's a free world. I can do whatever I like."

Silence fell. I broke it an instant later.

"Fine."

"I'll go to Angel and Stace," he said. "And you can get Iggy."

"No," I retorted. "You're really hurt. _I'll _get the twins. Don't try to to double the share."

He looked at me, sighed, and realized that there was no point arguing. I always won, and, to be honest, it wasn't worth the time.

"Sure," was all he said, and he headed for the slumped form of Iggy at the far side of the cave.

I scanned the cave. So where were they? I couldn't see them anywhere from where I was standing, but that didn't mean… that didn't mean…

"Max."

This time, for once, Fang's voice didn't send my heart into overdrive.

It was because I knew what that tone meant. He used it in bad situations.

When he was telling someone bad news.

_Was Iggy…?_

I rushed at him, the blood pounding in my ears, and flung myself down beside the pale, lanky... _brother _of mine.

"No," whispered Fang slowly.

I'd never, ever heard Fang use _that _voice before.

"What?" I snapped, looking wildly up at him. "What's _no _supposed to mean? _Fang? _Talk to me."

"It's okay."

But this time it wasn't Fang talking. I glanced downwards again, and Iggy was smiling weakly back up at me.

"Well, _I'm_ fine," he said. "A little stiff, but okay."

"You scared me a little there," I breathed, reassured, then glowered at Fang. "What was _that _for?"

He pointed a shaking finger at the wall.

_His fingers never shake._

"That's just one of the Eraser's 'jokes'," I said, trying to conceal my shock at him with a lighthearted façade. "They've written things all over the place."

"No," he repeated, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Max. Read it. It's Angel…"

The very word had my head whipping around like that.


	35. Last Message

**_And... on we go. I might not write any more A/N's for a while, but it just means I think it kind of ruins the flow of the plot, you know?? Anyway. Back to the story. _**

**Last Message**

_Hey guys, _I read._ It's me, Angel._

My heart beat quicker, and I began to scan the wall hungrily, gripping Fang for support.

_Subj. 27 gave us – that's me and Stace – a choice. Either he blew us all to kingdom come with his gun, or the two of us go with them, and they leave the rest of you alone forever… Freedom forever… Tiger… Whatever you do, don't come after us, otherwise they'll come after the flock again…_ _D'you understand? If you come after us, you don't get freedom anymore…_ _Have fun in Venice!… We'll be fine. We've got each other…_ _We love you guys…_

I was tearing up again. _No_. Clutching Fang, I read on.

_P.P.S. __Anastasia__ (she hates Stace, apparently) :D wants to say hi and bye, and she's glad she met you all. And she also wants to say to you, Gazzy, our awesome bro, that she never knew anything related to her could_

And, after that, there was a huge splotch, like she had tried to finish writing, but was forced to stop, and her hand had been jerked away...

_Could what?_

There were easily a million things Anastasia would never have known anything related to her could do. Who knows what the two of them had talked about? Maybe the Gasman had some secret cookie-cooking talent. Which, if he did have tucked up his sleeve, I would have to get wind of. _Soon._

But after this was all over.

"Max," said Fang. "Are you… okay?"

I just nodded numbly back at him.

Of course, being him, he could read me like an open book.

"Whatever. You don't have to be Maximum Ride all the time, you know."

"But they've… gone…" I whispered. "…Forever…"

"We can get them back," he promised fiercely.

"She asked us not to, Fang," I said quietly. "But I can't… I can't let them stay there… Not forever, while we're spending our lives free in Venice… But we've got Tiger now…"

"We can think about this later," he said. "For now, just…"

I buried my face in his shirt – bloody, dirty and sweaty, sure, but smelling like home – and said, "You were wrong, Fang. I _have _to be Maximum Ride all the time. There's no one else I can be."

I never found out what his reply was, though, because at that moment, someone interrupted us.

"Hey, guys."

I felt Fang tilt his head, even though we knew who it was by just the sound of her voice.

"Nudge," he acknowledged. "You feeling okay?"

"Been better," I heard her say. "But compared to Total… no big deal."

I froze. So he still wasn't waking up? Did that mean… did that mean that he was...?

"He's fine, though, right?"

I knew it was for my benefit that he asked.

She hesitated. "I don't know. We checked again to see if there was a heartbeat, but he was all bloody so we didn't want to press down too hard. Either way, if there _was _a heartbeat, it was pretty weak, because we didn't… we couldn't…"

I could hear her sniffling, trying to hold back the sobs.

I gritted my teeth. So much for benefit.

"What… were you guys looking at over here?"

I pulled myself out of Fang's arms, becoming the leader again. I saw that Iggy had stood up, and his arms were looped around Nudge. Tiger was still asleep, nestled between them, his chest lightly rising and falling as we spoke.

Iggy looked blindly around at the same time as Nudge glanced at the wall behind me.

"It's a message from Angel," I said softly, fighting back my own tears.

Nudge, fuelled on by her post-pregnancy hormones, was staring at the wall, her eyes blurry with the tears that were streaking down her cheeks, her shoulders shaking, and biting her lip so hard that she was drawing blood.

When she finished, she kept looking blankly at the message, as if convinced she had completely misunderstood every word.

It was Iggy who broke the silence.

"Read it," he said. "I can't _see. _God damn it. Someone _read it to me."_

I stared at his face as Fang began to read aloud. His expression was utterly passive; he was trying, like Fang, not to show any emotion at all, although his bottom lip quivered slightly, and there was a glint of a tear in his empty, crystal blue eye.

"No," he mumbled, when he had finished, casting his unseeing eyes downwards.

"She's _deluded," _Nudge snarled.

"Ex_cuse-_me?" I said, taken aback. "Nudge, she–"

"She's deluded," she repeated, his voice trembling. "If she thinks that we're not going after them. Screw freedom. We can't be free without two of our flock members. We just got Angel back, and Anastasia… well, she already feels like one of us. We know where they've gone. It's obvious."

"No," said Fang. "Gazzy blew the place up."

I gawped at him. _"What?"_

This was news to all of us.

"Good for him," said Iggy quietly.

Nudge, however, went straight back to the topic of Angel and Anastasia.

"Then where could they be? California? The School there?"

"Maybe," I said.

Talking tactics, at least, _was _something I was good at. Being emotional? Not so much.

"Let's start by looking around down there, in the wreckage. We might be able to find something. And then we'll try California."

I shuddered. Hellhole Numero Dos was awful, but the School was… well, I'd had too much experience for a lifetime. I was none too pleased about going back, but if Angel and Anastasia were there… I wouldn't hesitate, if not for the rest of the flock. They were currently all half-dead, what with their injuries, and in Total's case–

Strangely enough, just as I was thinking this, the Gasman yelled from beside the said black mutant Scottie, "Guys! Come over here!"

Well, whaddaya know.

Speak of the devil.

Or, I guess in _my _case, think of the devil.

I rushed after Fang, since he had taken off first, and Nudge was guiding Iggy in Total's direction behind us.

"What?" I asked breathlessly as I reached him.

"He just said something," the Gasman said excitedly. "Something about champagne and big sunglasses and bubble baths… This is Total we're talking about," he added at our blank faces.

I was so relieved I could have laughed out loud… if not for Angel's message still resounding in my head. When Total saw it, especially with that P.S., he'd completely freak. He'd been with her for the past ten years, after all.

And then, lighting up my world for an instant, he mumbled something under his breath again.

"What was that?" said Nudge.

I saw the hint of a grin on Fang's face.

"He said something about dog biscuits," he said.

I looked him square in the eye. "Liar."

"It's not for innocent ears to hear," he said defensively, looking pointedly at Tiger.

"He's sleeping," said Nudge. "Come on. Spill."

"Sir. Mix-A-Lot, Baby Got back," said the Gasman. "I like big butts and I cannot lie..."

Then, Total's mouth moved again, and I caught some of what he was saying... or more accurately, _singing._

I stared at the Gasman. "Was that_…Edelweiss?"_

"That," he chortled, "Was very much the chorus of Edelweiss."

"He went from a rap about sizable asses," I said incredulously,"To _The Sound of Music?"_

He shrugged. "I guess this is just what he dreams about. This dog can talk, walk, and do a lot of things most Scotties can't do, but when it comes to singing, he's worse than you, Max."

I shot him a sarcastic look. "Thanks, Gaz."

He grinned. "No worries. Anyway, where're my two lovely sisters?"

The atmosphere transformed instantly. He looked from face to face, and asked where they were once more.

"I…" Nudge began, her eyes watering again.

Iggy closed his eyes and murmured, "They're… well…"

Fang, naturally, said nothing.

I mustered up all of my strength, and tried to smile. It came out more as a grimace.

But there was no fooling Gazzy. He knew something was wrong.

"Max," he said, fixing his gaze on me. "Tell me."

I cracked. "…Follow me."

He stood up slowly, and I led him to the wall. He flicked his eyes upwards, and once they were there, he couldn't take them off. He read the message once, twice, three times, four times, five times… and then, he fell backwards, to sit on the cold, stone floor, tears running down his face.

He was my eight-year old again.

And, like I did whenever he was eight, I bundled him into a tight hug. He didn't refuse. He just let me pull him into my embrace, and left his arms by his sides, his tears soaking up into my shirt.

"Gazzy," I said. "We'll get them back. I swear it."

It was almost a minute later that I felt his arms finally wrap around me, and three minutes later that his tears stopped falling.

He didn't look up, when five minutes later, he spoke.

"Max," he said coolly. "I'm gonna kill the bastard myself."

* * *

**Angel POV, seven hours earlier**

"Get your hands _off _my sister," snarled Anastasia, as the Erasers bundled me into a helicopter.

"Now _you _get in, too," snapped Subject twenty-seven, "Or do I really have to lose my temper with you?"

_Stace, _I thought. _Leave it. It's not worth it._

All I got was a burst of utter shock from her end. _What're you talking about, Angel? You were the one who always–_

I tuned out. I knew what she was going to say, anyway. It was the same thing as that little voice in the back of my mind kept screaming at me. I chose to ignore it, too, trying to block out the pictures and memories of all of the flock. I didn't need another reason to hurt right now.

I closed my eyes, and faces lit up in my head.

* * *

_It must have been ten years ago. Just before the explosion that had taken me and Total veering away from the flock._

_Everyone was sitting around a table, – except for Anastasia and Tiger, of course – and looking considerably younger. A waiter was handing out plates of heaped up waffles and syrup – two for each person, except for Total, who was munching on French fries –, looking, frankly, terrified of the group of rowdy kids._

_Gazzy was telling a rude joke about a woman with herpes; Nudge was laughing so hard that she was clutching her sides; Iggy was grinning from ear to ear, and chomping down on his waffles; Max was laughing, too, but I could see her cautious glances towards the door; Fang, noticing how her gaze was continually straying, was rolling his eyes; Total was smiling evilly, and professing that he knew a lot ruder jokes, but wouldn't tell them for my benefit, since I was only six at the time._

_Max, upon hearing this, looked up, startled, and smiled at me._

"_Angel," she said. "Gazzy's just being an idiot. That's the least amusing thing I've ever heard in my life. It's not funny at all. Actually, nothing could be less funny."_

* * *

I jerked awake as an Eraser elbowed my side sharply.

"Get up," he said gruffly. "We're here."

Anastasia was forced out first, and the three Erasers that were in the helicopter with us – unlike the others, who'd had to fly – jeered, as Subject twenty-seven pushed her forwards, so she went sprawling, headfirst, into the mud. He fired a shot an inch away from her head, and she stiffened.

"I don't want to hear you talk," he snarled, "Until my say-so."

She struggled to her feet, and Subject twenty-seven swept her forwards again, pressing the barrel of the gun, this time, into the small of her back.

He didn't turn, but I heard his voice, clear Max's had just been in my head. "Angel."

The two Erasers darted to either side of me as I stepped out, following them.

Max had been wrong.

I could easily think of a million things that were less funny than the Gasman's herpes joke.


	36. The Base

**_I know I said no more A/N's for a while, but I'll be super-quick. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS. THEY'VE BEEN AMAZING. I LOVE YOU ALL :D_**

**_And we've finally reached over 500. This is INSANE. WAYYY more than I ever expected. So thanks._**

**_There. Done._**

**_Was that quick or WHAT?_**

**The Base**

All of a sudden, I stiffened. This place… it looked familiar. Anastasia seemed to realize it the same time as I did.

"You brought us back _here?" _she said incredulously. "To the _Base? _Tee, it's been completely ruined. Gazzy blew it up. What're you bringing us_ here_ for?"

"Shut up," he ordered. "And you'll find out sooner or later."

"Sooner, most likely," muttered the Eraser on my left, grinning toothily, leering at me.

I drew back sharply, revolted. A chorus of laughs erupted from around me.

"And… here we go."

We had reached a stretch of nothing but cracked floor tiles, and I bit my lip to stop myself from saying something out of line. Anastasia, of course, couldn't help herself.

"Are you _kidding _me?" she burst out. "If this is your idea of–"

Subject twenty-seven flashed her a glare. It read: _do you _want _to die?_

Apparently she didn't. Her mouth snapped shut, but her eyes still flickered with fury, disbelief. A week ago – was it really only a _week? – _she was on their side. Now, they were holding guns to her head, and threatening her life.

"Go."

An Eraser dropped to his feet, and scrambled around for a couple of seconds, before pressing his nose against a stub in the ground, whereupon a blinking red light – the size of a large coin, or the circumference of a Pritt stick – appeared. Following this, Tee pushed past him and shoved his thumb into the light.

A dull, female voice, the type you hear on voicemails, intoned, "Fingerprint confirmed. Fingerprint confirmed. Subject twenty-seven, mutant, 49.5% human, 20% timber wolf, 5% Bengal tiger, 15% vampire bat, 5% Javan rhinoceros, 5.5% American bullfrog. Subject twenty-seven. Access granted. Access granted."

At this, I couldn't help letting out a snigger. And I had been doing so _well _with keeping my mouth shut.

"Vampire bat?" I said. _"Really, _Tee? And 15%'s pretty massive."

He glowered. "Scared?"

I mock-shuddered. _"Terrified."_

Anastasia couldn't help herself, either. _"Bullfrog?"_

"Okay," he snapped. "One more word, and I don't care anymore. Screw research. I'm blowing your heads off, and then we're going back for your precious flock."

That shut us up all right.

Below us, one huge floor tile began to lift, then slide away to reveal an opening. It was nothing like I'd expected to be. The interior was sterile, smelling horribly of the School, lit bright with overhead lights, and, naturally, white.

We walked down a few steps, upon which the ground beneath us stretched to a wide corridor. Then, we were forced into a sealed white room with no exits whatsoever – meaning no transformations back into my favourite mosquito –, where the only air we breathed was already inside. Granted, it was a pretty huge room, but _still. _Had they taken us from certain death up in the cave to _suffocate _us? Was it more in style?

As if in answer to my question, Subject twenty-seven said, "There are oxygen canisters lining the wall back there, so if you run out of air, get over there."

_So they don't want to kill us, _I thought.

_But they want to keep us in a room with no exits, _Anastasia thought back instantly. _No escape._

"You guys have fun," called out Subject twenty-seven, and the Erasers who had come down with us jeered and laughed.

"Oh, we will," shot back Anastasia. "And you go have fun with all your bullfrog friends. Tell them I say _ribbet. _Now, can you do us a favour, and just leave? Or just _croak_, and make the world a better place."

My eyes widened. That was a good one. _Croak. _Tied in with the whole bullfrog thing, and also meant die. _Very _clever.

_Thanks, _she thought, somewhat proudly.

_You're getting better, _I replied, _but I still remain the unbeaten insult master._

_Insult master? Whatev–_

"You think you're so funny, don't you?" he snarled, interrupting us. "Well, all I've got to say is, let's see who's laughing tomorrow morning."

And the huge metal door fell shut before either of us could say anything more.

* * *

Anastasia woke me up early the following day, rushing into my dreams. My eyes slid slowly open.

_Get up, _she thought. _I can hear them coming._

I moaned. _Why can't I wait a couple more seconds?_

_Do you want to be waken up with a boot in your face? _she asked.

This, it had to be said, was a good point.

_Fine. I'm up. _

A moment later, there was a metallic screeching noise as the door began to lift. And, standing there, were Subject twenty-seven and my two escorts from last night.

"Missed an old friend?" he asked Anastasia, and held up the gun.

"So do we get meals here?" I said conversationally. "Because we'd _really _like a nice old British toad-in-the-hole."

He scowled. "Get your asses up. Someone wants to see you."

"Who could that possibly be?" Anastasia retorted. "The Queen? Or maybe even the Princess who kissed the frog…?"

His face turned a deep shade of umber, bordering on purple. I was enjoying this.

"Cat got your tongue, Tee?" I smirked. "But _no. _Don't toads have abnormally long tongues? Then again, I guess you're no ordinary toad. You're a toad _mutant. _One in a million."

He said only two words. "Get up."

Somehow they forced us up – the gun _was _involved – and then we began to walk down the long, bright white corridor until we had reached an important-looking door at the very end.

"So who lives here?" I joked. "All your mutant tadpoles?"

His scowl twisted horribly, flashing rows of sharp teeth, and then he rapped his knuckles three times against the door.

The robot voice again. "State your identity and purpose."

"Subject twenty-seven. Mutant. 49.5% human, 20% timber wolf, 5% Bengal tiger, 15% vampire bat, 5% Javan rhinoceros, and–" He glared at us. "–5.5% American bullfrog. I've brought the two Subject elevens."

A red light flashed on a screen, and he pressed his thumb up against it.

"Scanning. Scanning." A pause. "Access granted. Access granted."

The door swung open, and there, sitting behind a sleek white desk, was none other than the person I loathed most in the world.

"Hello Angel, Anastasia," said the Superior, smiling.

* * *

**Fang POV**

"_Gazzy?"_ I hissed, facing her. "Are you surethis is a good idea?"

She glared unflinchingly back at me. "Fang. There's nothing I can do. He's going to come, no matter _what_ I say."

"But he's…" I struggled to find the right word. "Unstable."

"I can't physically get someone to keep him here," she said. "And one more person's not gonna hurt."

"But d'you want _him _getting hurt?" I questioned. "Because this is the Gasman we're talking about. Nothing's gonna matter to him more than killing this Subject guy. It's gonna get him hurt, dead, or messed up."

"I know," she said quietly. "But he's, what, _eighteen _now? He's a big kid. He'll be fine. I was four years younger than he is now when I had to fight Omega, remember?"

I rolled my eyes. "But you're _Max."_

This caused her to blink slowly up at me, and smile.

I looked right back, taking in all of her, just like I always did. Her flyaway hair, the colour she called dirty blonde, but which always reminded me of the colour of the chocolate chip cookies Dr. Martinez always made, minus the chocolate chips; her brown eyes, currently trained on my face, ever the same; the curving slope of her pale, rounded nose; and, finally, her mouth.

God, I loved that mouth.

Which is why, an instant later, my thumb was tracing lazy circles over it, and she was taking in a shuddery breath. Then I couldn't wait anymore, and I was kissing her, the way I always did, starting off slow and gentle, and then–

Iggy cleared his throat loudly.

Max stiffened, blushing crimson and jerking her head away. I pulled back my own head reluctantly, annoyed. It was just getting good.

Who was I kidding.

With Max, it was _always _good.

"Are you guys going, or what?" he asked.

"Sure," spluttered Max. "I… uh, we…"

She was so damn _cute _when she was flustered.

"If you want," he offered, "I can go instead of Gazzy."

"I heard that," snapped the Gasman, storming towards us. "And you can't keep me from going, Max. I'm legally–"

"An adult now," finished Iggy. "Yeah, we know. Heard it a million times. But they're just going fishing for clues. That's it. They're not gonna be down there, Gaz. No-one is. Ever since you blew it up, it's like a freaking _wasteland."_

"So what d'you want me to do, Ig?" he flared up. "Stay here and act daddy to your kid?"

Iggy flinched. "Look, there's no need to–"

"Guys," Max cut in. "Quit it. Okay, Gazzy, you can come. But as long as you do what I say, 24-7. You want me to repeat that?"

He shook his head. "Gotcha loud and clear."

"Iggy, I want you to stay with Nudge," she went on. "Look after her, Total and the guy- I'm _sorry! _Tiger."

He nodded.

"And when Total gets up," she said, "Make sure to kill him personally from me. Tell him if there's ever another fight like last night, I want him to _run. _Or fly. Whatever's convenient. Just get the hell out. Then get him feeling better."

"And what about the…"

He didn't have to finish. We all knew he meant Angel's message.

She hesitated. "Show it to him. It'll mean a lot. Then let him brood for a while, and _afterwards… _well. Anyone have a secret talent for chocolate-chip-cookie-baking?"

For some reason, she glanced towards Gazzy as she said this.

"Well." She manages another tiny smile. "Bye, then."

Nudge tries to smile back. "Tally-ho."

I wanted to try and lighten the atmosphere. But then, it wasn't very à la Fang.

Max made up for it, though, and touched the top of Tiger's head fondly. "Hasta la vista, baby."

"Be back soon," said Iggy.

"Sure," said Max.

Gazzy and I just stood on the sidelines; Gazzy was itching to leave, I was just waiting patiently for Max, and slowly fading into the background.

And when she finally furled her wings wide and strong and ready, we took this as our cue to leave, and pitched ourselves over the side of the cliff, heading for a place all of us wanted nothing but to forget.


	37. Intuition

**Intuition**

"_You," _I snarled, and lunged forwards.

Immediately, four Erasers sprang from where they had been crouching behind the massive desk, and grabbed my flailing limbs, forcing me down into one of the five seats in front of it. They held my arms down as metal clasps clicked into place over my wrists, and I yelled as the same happened to my legs, my ankles.

Then they turned on Anastasia, who had been screaming a stream of insults at the Superior and struggling with Subject twenty-seven the entire time.

A moment later, she was locked into the seat beside me.

I felt ridiculously defenceless, vulnerable.

"You can go now."

The four Erasers each dipped in a little bow, before leaving, shutting the door behind them.

"Who the hellwould _bow?" _I wanted to know. "And to you of all people."

"Shut it," barked Subject twenty-seven.

"No, no," said the Superior lightly. "Be nice to them."

All three of us froze. Anastasia and I were staring, slack-jawed, at her. Subject twenty-seven looked even more incredulous, and was literally gaping at her, his mouth opening and shutting like some kind of retarded fish.

Then again, he _was _part frog, so he did have the whole water-creature thing going on.

_Be nice? Be NICE?_

That was like telling Gandhi to kill a million kids; like opening a box of cereal and finding hand cream inside.

In other words, utterly unexpected.

"Sit down, Tee," she went on in that same, adoring tone.

She was pretty head-over-heels for this guy. Although, looking at him now, in his mutant form, I really, _really _couldn't understand how. Human, he was good-looking. Otherwise, not so much.

He sat.

"I'm certain you want to know why we let the flock go," she said, "When we had the upper hand, and could've easily taken you all, or even destroyed you."

Both Anastasia and I bobbed our heads. It wasn't like I could throw her a thumbs-up. If you hadn't noticed, I was completely _plastered _to that freaking chair.

It's enough to make any girl mad.

"Tests?" suggested Anastasia. "Eraser chow?"

Subject twenty-seven looked up, somewhat hopeful, at this. It was obvious he knew no more than we did about what the Superior was going on about. He had just stuck to orders.

"None of the above," she answered.

My eyes popped wide open.

_What was going on?_

Not tests? Not Eraser chow?

I couldn't keep my mouth shut any longer. "Then what're we going to be doing here? You want us to be _slaves, _or something?"

Subject twenty-seven nodded vigorously. "Great idea, S."

"S?" I echoed, spluttering with laughter.

"_S?" _Anastasia was furious.

"Sorry, Anna," apologized the Superior. "I knew you liked him. But I liked him more, you see."

"_Don't," _she snapped, "Call me Anna. And no, I _never _liked him. He was a freaking screw-up. He's part _toad, _for God's sake! You wanna be the one going around shacking up with a frog prince, be my _guest._"

Subject twenty-seven pulled out his gun in one swift movement. "Why, you little–"

Anastasia shot him a sarcastic grin. "You're not going to do it. If you wanted to kill me, all those times you'd threatened to, you would've."

"You think I don't have the _guts?" _he spat.

"Do frogs even _have _guts?" she shot back.

But before he could answer, the Superior cut in again. "Like I said. _Be nice."_

This was all getting a bit fuh-reaky.

"Wait," I said. "I need you to tell me something, before you… go on. We burned you to a crisp. You were _ashes. _So how come you're… _alive?"_

She beamed. "Easy."

Subject twenty-seven echoed her grin. "But she's not going to tell you."

"Not unless you agree to my offer," she added quickly.

Anastasia glowered. "What exactly _is _this offer?"

"You know me, Anastasia," she said smoothly. "So I'm going to ask you to _guess."_

"Okay," I growled. "Stop pissing around, and just _tell _us."

From her expression, it was obvious she wasn't going to.

_So bloody frustrating, _I thought.

Anastasia seemed to be even angrier than I was, and was currently steaming away in her seat, staring daggers at the woman sitting in front of us.

_So, Stace? Can you guess?_

_Anastasia, _she corrected. _And no. I've got no freaking idea. This is probably all some big joke between the two of them._

_I need to know how she came back, _I thought. _So come on. Otherwise I'll just take it from you._

Meaning I could simply slip into her mind, because it was so familiar to me, and just catch a glimpse of her ideas.

_No! _Anastasia thought furiously.

It was a sort of unspoken agreement between us that we wouldn't do this. Thinking and feeling each other's emotions and moods were enough. This was the only privacy we could have – hiding our deepest and darkest thoughts –, since the two of us were the only ones who were able to conceal those, only not from each other. If either one of us wanted to see the other's darkest fantasies, dreams, nightmares, it was easy.

Just not right.

_You can't do that._

_I don't want to, _I thought. _But I can._

_You wouldn't dare._

_So just give it up, Stace–_

_DON'T call me that._

_Sorry, it just slipped out._

_Then keep it IN._

I almost sighed. _I just want to know. Come on. Be a nice twin, won't ya?_

_You want to know the truth?_

_Dude. Are you kidding me?_

_I. Have. No. Freaking. Clue._

_Ha, ha. Funny. You're just hilarious._

_I know. One of my many specialities. But it also happens to be the truth._

_RIGHT._

_God, if you don't believe me, then take a freaking look. Go on._

_No, I won't. I was never going to in the first–_

_Then just trust me._

A hesitation. Did I believe her?

Answer: duh.

_Fine._

_I didn't even know about this place, underground. Like I said, they never told me anything._

_I believe you._

_Thanks._

We both looked up at the same time, and the words flowed out of her lips.

"I guess that _you _are the reason people in this world have abortions."

Subject twenty-seven's legs flexed, and then he was standing in front of her, lips pulled back in a horrifying snarl. Anastasia, taking one look at his face, cracked up.

God, I was proud of her.

The Superior frowned. "Tee, sweetie. I don't think now's the time"

Looking defeated, he slunk back into his chair.

She turned to us. "Not quite. Without me, the world would be a very different place."

"For one," Anastasia chirped sarcastically, "Bird kids would be able to live in _peace."_

"Without me," she replied icily, "There wouldn't _be _any bird kids."

I glowered. "So just hurry up and tell us what you're planning on doing with us, because I've no idea what's going on, and you're wasting time."

She smiled widely.

"I want you two," she said, "To be my children."

* * *

**Gazzy POV**

"Whoa," Max said as we landed. "You sure did a hell of a job, Gaz."

I didn't answer. Instead, I began to rummage around, throwing bits of debris everywhere, and showering Max and Fang in dirt, dust, and shards of glass.

Fang's eyes flashed, and he shot a look at her.

"Oi!" she shouted. "Stop _throwing. _Just look. Otherwise I'm sending you back, even if I have to take you there myself."

I glared. "You _wouldn't." _

"Huh," she said. "Try me. I've only got the flock's best interests at heart, which doesn't involve throwing around bits of broken _glass._"

I looked away, furious. "Fine."

She hesitated, and her voice softened. "Gazzy, I'm sorry. It's just… I'm stressed, and so I just snapped, I guess."

"Apology accepted," I growled.

We kept on looking in tense silence, and occasionally, someone would find a clipboard or whatever with bits of writing on it. My heart would skip a beat, and they'd read off numbers, letters, meaningless codes.

This wasn't going anywhere.

Max realized this an instant before I did, and turned to us. "D'you reckon we'll find _anything _here?"

Fang spoke one word, a suggestion. "California."

I swallowed. Even though I agreed with them, I had some strange feeling about this place.

"I think," I began, "That we should stay here, in Virginia. But right now, they obviously know we're here. If we stick around, but _hide, _maybe someone will come, and then we can pump them for info."

Max shook her head slowly. "Gaz… I don't think they're here."

"Well," I said. "I have a feeling. Incubation."

"You mean intuition?"

"_That's _the one. I have it."

Avian/American intuition was nearly always right. We relied on it for practically everything.

Max looked half-swayed, but finally gave in. "We'll stay two more nights."

"Thanks," I breathed. "We _will _find something."

And we flew up, up, as if we were leaving, but then spiralled quickly down on a diagonal, so that we pierced the side of a huge tree's leaves, feet first, and landed softly on the boughs.

The only way anyone could see us now was through the large hole, and, as Max covered it with bits of broken wood, I knew it was almost impossible.

I grinned. For the first time since my sisters had disappeared, I felt hopeful.


	38. Blackmail

**_Just in case anyone's confused about the time between POV's... everyone's on the same time scale now._**

**Blackmail**

Are you freaking _kidding _me?" Anastasia burst out, at the same time as I shouted, "Are you on _crack?"_

The corners of her mouth jerked, as if she was about to retort, but a moment later, she was smiling patiently again. This new addition to the crap that is my life apparently took Subject twenty-seven by surprise, too, if the way he leapt out of his chair was any indication.

"S, I–" he started, but broke off, lost for words.

"I take it you want to know why," she went on.

Three heads bobbed up and down in unison.

"Well," she said. "I'm tired of torturing the flock, as well as other mutants, and I honestly felt like settling down with–"

I cut in, my voice flat. "Bullshit."

"I…"

But she looked at our faces, realized that we all suddenly knew she was lying.

And… she went right back to the giant überbitch she had been all along.

"Fine," she snarled. "You're right. I don't give a rat's ass whether you to live or die. But I want you to cooperate with me."

"What makes you think we're going to?" Anastasia snapped back.

"Well," she began, with a bittersweet smile. "I had the impression you'd do anything for the flock."

"That's _foul," _I growled. "You can't do that, they're already free. You can't just… go back on your word like that."

She snorted. "Why not?"

"_Because."_

"You, at least, should know me better than Angel does, Anna," she said, turning to Anastasia.

"_Don't," _she hissed, "Call me that _ever _again, if you at least want to live another minute."

"Touchy, are we? I always liked that about you," she went on. "You never failed to amuse me."

"If it weren't for these _god damned _handcuffs…" Anastasia warned.

The Superior laughed. "Hil_arious. _But we must move on. So, if you two do not do as we say, I'll have no choice but to torture and kill the flock one by _one. _I'll leave your dear Maxie to be last. It seems only fair to save the best for last."

My jaw dropped. "You _couldn't –"_

Anastasia's eyes flashed. "You _wouldn't –"_

"We can and we will," she said. "And don't count on the flock coming after you anymore, you two. We're keeping track of them. Tee–" Subject twenty-seven was called to attention; his head jerked upwards. "Tell them we've been keeping an eye on the flock."

He sniggered. "Oh _yeah. _Erasers hanging after them, wherever they go."

"Don't they _notice?"_

"They have a kid now; who notices a couple of mutants when there's a screaming, sobbing, shitting child around?"

"Thank you, Tee." The Superior turned back to face us. "They've done exactly as you said. They've left for a nice time in Venice. They've _left you behind."_

For some reason, my heart dropped deep into the pits of my stomach. I gaped. _No. I should be happy. This is what I wanted._

But… the flock always stood by each other. Didn't they even _want _to come?

The Superior smirked. "Angel?"

"That's great," I said, forcing myself to speak with a voice – _any _voice – that didn't give away what I was feeling. It came out sounding like a man.

Anastasia was better. "So? That's what we wanted. We wanted them to leave. Angel wrote them a freaking_ message, _remember?"

"But_ you_ still care about_ them_?"

We nodded, looking at her as if to say _duh._

"So you won't like it much if we torture and kill them."

I swallowed. I didn't even want to _think _about it.

"So–" The Superior flashed a grin. "– You _will _cooperate."

It was for the flock. It was always for the flock.

I glanced over at Anastasia. Her eyes were locked on mine. We both knew exactly what we had to do.

I turned back to the Superior, gritted my teeth. "Just tell us what we have to do."

* * *

**Fang POV**

"Shut _up."_

Max was furious at Gazzy again. I was glad. If I hadn't been a zillion percent certain that she wasn't going to, I just might have raised my voice myself. But then, I would've risked both of them staring at me for the next hour like _Oh my god. Fang just shouted... Is the world about to end?_

Not something I'd like to go through.

So I let it slide. Next thing I knew, _she _was the one shouting.

Well. Not quite. Hissing really, more than shouting. But if we weren't hidden in a tree, trying to keep our cover… _under_cover, then I'm sure she would be. All you had to do was look at her face. Yes. There we go. It was going all red, especially at the tips of her ears.

She was so freaking cute.

"– Just never, _ever, _poke your foot out the tree again. _Ever. _Do – you – under – _stand – _me – Gasman?"

Gazzy blinked. Then he nodded.

"Sorry, Max," he mumbled. "Never again."

She inhaled deeply, let it go. "Right then. Fang, how's it going? Seen anything unusual yet?"

Oh. Forgot to mention. I'd also been posted as 'main lookout'.

Let me explain.

There was me, the 'main lookout', who had the best view of the wreck that was once the hellhole, through a tiny parting in the leaves, just big enough to squeeze two eyes and sometimes a nose – but never the whole face. Then Max and Gazzy were apparently, according to Max, 'secondary lookouts', and they just glanced out in other directions now and again.

Sure, we swapped every couple of hours. Otherwise – hell – I'd go nuts.

"Nope," I said.

First thing I'd said since coming to this tree. No wait. There had been one _Jeeeeeeeeeesus Christ, _when the Gasman had got a tiny splinter in his finger, and had made a huge deal out of it.

So third word, I guess.

"You know," began Max. "I was thinking about going to California, and it seems like a good idea. There's no _way _they're here."

The Gasman was instantly desperate. "But Max–"

"I think that we–"

"_Please–"_

"–Should just go over there, since–"

"Freaking _hell!" _the Gasman all but roared. "Why won't you _listen _to me, damn it?"

Max was taken aback. She regained herself in an instant. "Because we know what you want, and we've tried it your way. But this isn't working well, Gaz. I'm sorry for being such a pain in the ass, lately, but I'm just so worried about them and – and –"

I felt a tug at my heart, a sensation quite familiar to me nowadays, but still always takes me by utter surprise. I'm Fang. _Fang. _And when Max is concerned, I get heart-tugs.

The world is so strange sometimes.

"Max," said Gazzy. "I'm sorry, too. I'm worried as well, and… I guess I just…"

I looked away for the big, cheesy hug. Not my type.

Not Max's type, either, but she went along with it for Gazzy. The poor kid had a lot of things going wrong for him recently.

So there I was, staring out across the Gasman's mass ruin, when I saw something that made me say my fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth words since I'd been in that freaking tree.

"Max, Gaz, you _have _to see this."


	39. Down Under

**Down Under**

**Fang POV**

"What?"

They hurried over, and their eyes widened.

I could hardly believe it, either.

Because there, in the middle of the ruins, a huge square sheet of metal had lifted from the ground, and was now sliding across to reveal an opening. Seconds later, an Eraser poked its head out, swung it around to check that the coast was clear – I even smiled slightly, thinking, _little does he know_ – then looked back downwards, gesturing with his hand, flapping, the universal signal to come on.

Five Erasers came out, snapped out their wings in unison, and took to the air.

Slowly, the three of us faced each other.

Max grinned. "We've got 'em."

* * *

**Angel POV**

The Superior looked ecstatic.

"I want you to come with me, back to California," she said.

My breath hitched in my throat.

_California? The school? No…_

Anastasia shot me an encouraging look.

I forced the word out. "Fine."

"Good." She tucked her hair behind her ear before continuing. "And yes, when I said I wanted you to be my children… that was true."

_What's she talking about?_ "Go on."

Anastasia replied, _I've no freaking idea. She's crazy. _"Well. We'll station you at the School, of course."

_My worst fears confirmed. _"Well, we knew that. Can you just get on with it?"

Apparently, this was too much cheek for Subject twenty-seven.

"Shut your disgusting little faces right now, or I will literally _skin _you."

I shuddered. "Ew."

"Skin?" Anastasia asked sweetly. "Please do. Then we won't be any help to the love of your life."

He hesitated, then fell further into his seat. "Fine. Go on, S."

"_Anyway," _she said. "As you, Anastasia, are well aware, I aim to make mutants back into humans, and vice versa. We've already done humans into mutants, so now we're moving ahead with technology. Long story short, I am going to insert my and Tee's DNA into your bodies."

I jerked upright, breathed, _"No."_

"Why?" Anastasia wanted to know, looking horrified.

"Of course, it _will _be a sort of experiment, although I'm sure my calculations are correct–"

"So you don't even know if it's going to work, or not?" I cut in.

"Well," she said. "No. Not really. But as I said, it'll be _sort of _an experiment."

Anastasia looked suspicious, now. "Meaning?"

The Superior's lips twitched. "Meaning only _one _of you will be the experiment. The second one _will _go through the experiment if the other survives; if not, she will _act _my daughter's part for my meeting with the Emperor of Japan – they've recently found something I'm _very _interested in over there, but the Emperor's being quite stubborn. I mentioned I had two adopted Japanese daughters – if one of you dies, I'll just say you're at camp, or something," she added. "And since both of you can change your appearance at will, as well as influence people, I'm sure that won't be a problem for you."

"So one of us might… die?" Anastasia said in a very quiet voice. Then she asked the question that I didn't have the guts to ask. "Which… _one?"_

She smiled. "That's the best part. I'm going to let you _choose."_

I exchanged glances with my sister.

No. _No. _This was beyond cruel. I couldn't… I could never…

_I'll do it, _Anastasia offered.

_No way. I'm not just going to let you walk in there and… and… Forget it, Stace. I'm doing it._

_You called me Stace._

_I'm sorry._

_Not good enough._

_Then what d'you want me to do?_

_I want you to let me do this._

In an instant, I knew the whole 'not good enough' thing was supposed to end up like this. And I was _not _going along with it. No freaking way.

_Don't be an idiot, _I thought. _I've been out and about, you've been stuck in this god damn… Base for your whole life. So it should obviously be me._

_Angel, I betrayed the whole flock._

I hesitated. _I don't care anymore._

_You paused before answering._

_No I didn't, _I quickly lied.

_Liar._

Silence.

_Are you sure – like a million percent sure – that you want to do this?_

_Hell, yeah, _Anastasia replied. _I don't want you to die._

_Neither do I, but I'd rather… Then I guess… Why don't we BOTH do it?_

_Both? But the whole point of this is that I don't want YOU to…_

_She said that they were tracking the flock, and they've left for Venice. Whichever one of us is left alive is gonna be all alone, Stace._

_Anastasia._

_Whatever._

_Anyway, ANGIE, – _I winced – _I think it's a good idea. And besides, the experiment might work anyway, but…_

_You don't want to do it._

_Um, and you DO?_

_No, I meant… God. They want to put parts of THEM into us? We're gonna be part frog and rhino and whatever else our ex… Oh my freaking God. We're gonna be RELATED to Tee._

She was speechless… or, I guess, thoughtless.

_And the Superior._

She _definitely _had something to say – _think – _about this one, however.

_Angel, we can't do this._

_Two words. The flock._

_Fine. We HAVE to do this, but…_

I smiled. _I'll be with you all the way, Stace._

_Likewise, Angie._

_Touché._

_You want to do the speaking?_

_Nah, you do the honours._

_Flattered._

_You should be._

_Love you, my dearest Angel._

I mimed barfing.

She half-laughed. The Superior and Subject twenty-seven exchanged glances.

_I know you really love me too._

_Damn it. You got me._

_Finally._

_You should start talking now._

Anastasia nodded, turned to the Superior.

"We'll do it," she said, "But on one condition."

Max POV

The Gasman opened his mouth. "There's just one thi–"

"If you say 'I told you so'," I warned, "I will kill you, Gaz."

"Love you, too, Max."

I managed a smile. "But thanks. I was… wrong, and you were right."

I grimaced. _Never again._

"Hold it, hold it, _hold it," _the Gasman said, eyes wide in mock-horror. "Did Maximum Ride just admit she was _wrong?"_

Even Fang was looking amused.

"And you'd better believe it," I went on, half-scowling, half-grinning, now, "'Cause I'm never saying it again."

"So," Gazzy went on. "What, high-and-mighty Maximum, can we do now to please your highness?"

"Ha, ha." I dropped my tone. "On a more _serious _note, we can wait out here until they – that is to say, Angel and Anastasia – come out, or we can wait for those Erasers to come back, get the code – since I'll bet anything there is one –, get some sort of disguise, get inside, get them, and get out."

"The four _gets," _said Gazzy, with a completely straight face.

A grin flashed across Fang's face for a brief second. It could've been my imagination… but these days, Fang was a little more unpredictable with his emotions. Maybe Angel or Anastasia had been dropping in hints? Hints about his emotions and maybe also how he now–

_No. No way._

God. If all that new stuff was copyright Angel/Anastasia… I didn't even want to think about it.

"Er, Max?"

My gaze snapped up. The five Erasers were coming back now, holding bags of… was that KFC?

Three stomachs growled.

Trės, trės loudly, I might add.

Ten eyes swivelled up to the tree, saw six staring back down.

And… we had no choice but to leap out of the damned thing – not that I was really complaining; it had been the point, anyway – to burn a course through the air, right down at the gobsmacked Erasers.

Two seconds later, I had barrelled into one of them, grabbed its head, and twisted it backwards. It went down silently, dropping its KFC. But before the six or seven bags could hit the ground, Fang swooped in, catching them smoothly and putting them to the side.

He looked seriously back at me. "I could never, _ever _let a cheeseburger get ruined while I stand there watching."

One of the reasons I love him so much.

Yep, 'cause when he talks, he talks _good. _

So I was there, grinning back at him – yes, I _was _being sarcastic, above, but hell, I still have a sense of humour – and then two other Erasers launched themselves at us.

Fang pushed me out of the way, and knocked their heads, Hollywood-style, against one another. They collapsed, out cold.

I landed on the balls of my feet, and saw that the Gasman was pummelling another Eraser into a mass of bloody pulp; satisfying fragments of teeth were missing from the Eraser's gums. When he finally stepped back, its eyes rolled back into its head, and it dropped down, dead.

We all three of us rounded on the final Eraser. Gazzy lunged; I grabbed the collar of his T-shirt.

"We need this one alive for the code," I reminded him. "And _then _you can warm up for Subject twenty-seven on it."

The Eraser let out a bellowing roar, and rushed at us.

The following things happened _very _quickly.

First, I thrust my knee upwards, so that he rushed into me, winding himself.

Then, Fang delivered a crushing roundhouse kick into his solar plexus, winding him a second time.

Finally, the Gasman, who had flown upwards, closed his wings, and plummeted in a pencil-dive (ie, feet first, arms plastered to your sides, and generally just like a _pencil), _ramming his feet down into the Eraser's with extra gusto. The Eraser let out a squeal of pain; there were two sickening _cracks – _the Gasman had its broken bones. It fell to its knees.

"Okay," I spat. "I want the code to get in through the trapdoor."

"No," it refused.

"Give it to me," I warned, "Or we'll break more of your bones. Starting with… each of your fingers, one by one. _That _should get you talking."

Again, "No."

I rolled my eyes, grabbed the index finger of his left hand, and crushed my hand down into a fist. The Eraser screamed.

"You talking now?"

"No."

Furious, I swept my legs through the air, smashing them into the side of his coccyx. It yelped.

"Fine," it eventually breathed – after a couple more rounds of torture –, blinking away the dots dancing before his eyes. "It's… it's not a code."

"What is it, then?" I snapped, trying to hide the fact that my heart was suddenly picking up speed, and fresh adrenaline was coursing through me.

"Finger…print," he mumbled.

So, on the count of three, Fang and Gazzy helped me carry him closer to the trapdoor. He rummaged around for a few moments, before he pushed down on a knob in the ground, and a red light appeared. He then put his thumb into the red light, some woman said, "Fingerprint confirmed' twice, then went on to list his name – 'Eraser D452' – and then, a heartbeat later, 'Access granted'.

We broke into relieved grins, the Gasman knocked the Eraser completely unconscious with a well-aimed uppercut, and we proceeded down a stark white corridor; I noticed that Fang was holding three bags of KFC again, and sighed inwardly. He had obviously grabbed them while the fingerprint was being confirmed – since the woman frustratingly said everything twice, I guess he'd had enough time.

"Max," hissed the Gasman, the second time we had to press ourselves tightly against the walls, because we thought we heard someone coming – not that it would do us any good, anyway, since we were pretty much out in the open.

"What?"

"I think we're kind of noticeable."

I stared at him; Fang stopped munching on his cheeseburger for an instant. "You _think?"_

"We need a disguise," he said.

I considered it for a moment, then nodded. "I'll… try."

And, squeezing my eyes shut, I thought, _Angel! Anastasia! It's me, Max! Can you hear me?_


	40. Coin Toss

**_So I actually tried a short Anastasia POV here... tell me if you like it/hate it?? Please??_**

**Coin Toss**

"No. Absolutely not."

The Superior was, evidently, having none of it.

"I need to make sure one of you is alive for my meeting, or else I won't be able to get–"

"Why is this experiment so _necessary?"_

"Because I need to see if DNA transfer _works," _she hissed. "And it's none of your business, anyway, Angel, so shut your mouth."

"Since I'm one of your victims in this latest scheme of yours," I retorted, "I would say that it sure as hell _is _my business."

"Enough," she snapped.

"This is going to come out sounding terrible," began Anastasia, "but why _us? _Why can't you test it on some other mutant?"

"How very _cruel _of you," The Superior said. "So selfish."

"Oh, don't give me that," Anastasia snapped.

She shrugged. "Because I _want _to."

"You know," I growled, "After the Director and the Uber-Director, and all those other whitecoats, I had this thought in my head that no-one could be any worse. But, Supey, I've got to say, you really did take that away from me. Just like everything else."

She smiled. "How very touching. So? Have you decided whose going to be undertaking the transfer? Or are you going to stick by what you just told me? Because _that _is not happening."

"We're sticking, buster," Anastasia said. "We'd rather both of us do it."

The Superior sighed. "I'm afraid that I have no choice, then. I'm going to have to flick a coin. Whoever it lands on is doing the operation."

She dug her hand into her pocket, and pulled out a silver coin. It glinted in the light.

"Tell me, Anna," she drawled. "Heads or tails?"

"Never," she snarled.

"Okay," she said cheerfully. "Then it's Angel that's going to do it."

"_No," _she hissed, the same time I said, "Fine."

The Superior ignored my comment. "So, Anna, what's it going to be?"

_Don't do it, Stace, _I urged.

_It's Anastasia, _she thought out of habit, I supposed. _But if I don't…_

_Don't listen to her._

She squeezed her eyes shut, then blinked them open.

"Heads," she finally murmured.

A grin played on the Superior's lips. She flicked the coin upwards. It spun over and over in the air, before seeming to halt for an instant. Then it plummeted. She caught it deftly, closing her palm. Then slowly, tantalizingly, she slammed it down on the back of her other hand. Her fingers lifted, revealing what lay there.

I read it in her mind before I saw it myself.

It was tails.

* * *

**GAZZY POV**

"They're not hearing me," Max whispered.

"Are you sure?" I wanted to know. "Are you absolutely certain?"

"No," she said sarcastically. "I'm _lying, _Gasman."

"Well," I said tetchily, "I was just making sure."

"We've been lucky so far," she went on. "We've only seen two Erasers, and they're both..."

"Dead?" offered Fang.

"Pretty much," she agreed.

I opened my mouth to say something, but just then, a door on the right of us opened, and out walked three whitecoats. Before they knew what was happening, they were all out cold, and Max had stripped them down to their underwear.

"You know, Max," said Fang slowly. "I'm just a bit worried here."

"I'm sure you'd like to express yourself… physically right now, but that one's a _woman, _Max," I pointed out. "Are you really into–"

"What are you– _No," _she burst out. "Gazzy, _no. _I'm with Fang. I just thought we'd be _disguised _if we put their clothes on. We'd look like whitecoats."

I broke into a somewhat relieved smile. "Genius."

"Don't look," she warned, as she tugged her sweater over her head. "Otherwise…"

Fang smirked. "Max, I've seen you–"

"Yup, but Gazzy hasn't," she said. "So just you, then, Gaz."

I quickly peeled off my own clothes, replacing them with a stiff white shirt, white trousers and a white coat. I wheeled around, expecting the others to be done, and was rewarded with the sight of Max in a pair of frilly, hot pink underwear. Her face flamed. I spun right back around on my heel, my own face burning up.

"_Gazzy!" _she roared. "You did not just…"

I couldn't help but snort. "Hot pink, Max? Really? And frilly, too?"

"It was the cheapest one in the store," she fired back.

"Oh really?"

"You _looked?" _Fang said incredulously.

"You only _just _realized?" I burst out.

"Well, I was…" He scowled, and tore his gaze from Max. "Distracted."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever makes you guys happy, I guess."

"Gazzy…" snarled Max.

"So," I interrupted cheerfully. "What do we do next? You finished those burgers, Fang?"

He stared at me. "What do you _think?"_

I looked behind us, at the trail of brown paper bags scrunched up and discarded on the floor. He had eaten them all, damn it.

"Fine," I said, shrugging. "Let's find Angel and Anastasia."

"Easier said than done," said Max. "I've already tried calling out to them; I've no idea where they are."

"Well, then," I concluded. "We've just got to keep looking, and keep trying."

"Sounds good," Max concurred.

We were halfway down the corridor, however, when a crowd of whitecoats swarmed towards us, and, catching sight of us, yelled, "What're you waiting for? It's the meeting _now! _The Superior wants all of us in there. Hurry up!"

They rushed past us, filing into a room to the left. We hesitated, before following them. Maybe we could find them. You never knew.

* * *

**ANASTASIA POV**

"So," said the Superior. "Angel."

Angel nodded, and perhaps a little too forcefully. She was evidently petrified, just trying not to show it. I felt my lip curl.

"No," I snapped. "I meant tails, Supey."

"And just for calling me that, I won't believe you," she replied calmly. "It's all settled, fair and square."

_I'm not going to let you do this, you know._

Angel smiled slightly. _I was never one to obey._

_You're obeying now, _I pointed out.

_Well, _she thought. _There's a consequence. If I don't, they'll keep going after the flock forever._

_Let me do it. You can go to Japan._

_No, _she argued. _No way._

_But -_

The Superior interrupted my retaliation, turning to Subject twenty-seven.

"Tee," she demanded. "I want you to have these two escorted to the video room in five. I'll meet you there."

She rose from her seat, and left the room. Subject twenty-seven called in ten Erasers, five for each of us, and finally sprung open the locks keeping us in our chairs. I leapt upwards, but, in one fluid movement, the Erasers were holding every limb of mine. The same was done to Angel.

And it was as we began down the corridor that the epiphany came to me. First I closed my mind, so that my sister wouldn't see it coming. Then I screamed a torrent of insults at the Erasers, then wrestled free from them. Angel, taking this as a form of escape, struggled free, too. I ran over to her, and hugged her, then began to spin her around, faster and faster. The Erasers, dazed and confused, looked upwards a moment too late.

What they saw before them made their breath hitch in their throats.

* * *

**MAX POV**

When the room was full, minutes later, a huge screen flickered to life. And there, smiling insincerely down from the screen, was the Superior, standing before crimson curtains.

"I am certain you have all heard of my new project," she began.

This was met by a round of applause and hoots from the audience, except, of course, by me, Fang and Gazzy.

"And you all know of my deal with the Emperor of Japan," she continued, "Which will absolutely prevail. Here, I present to you the two mutants who will assist me in making sure my two plans work. Angel and Anastasia, two forms of the mutant species Subject Eleven."

I froze. So they _were _here. Beside me, the Gasman and Fang shifted, suddenly looking more interested than ever.

On the screen, the Superior pulled a gold cord, which in turn revealed what was caged behind the red curtains behind her.

The audience gasped in unison.

The Gasman gave a little groan.

Because there, sitting beside each other, were two identical Angels.

* * *

**_I know it's a lot shorter trhan usual, but I promise to make the next one longer?? You want to press that button; I know you do. PLEASE, PLEASE DO IT. And tell me what you think, honestly. Constructive criticism VERY MUCH appreciated._**

**_So any reviews for me? Just to make me happy? You know you want to..._**


	41. SUMMARY

**_I know I haven't written anything for a ridiculously long time and I'm SORRY. Most of you have probably already forgotten the story, so I'm just going to do a quick summary of everything that's happened so far, then I'll update soon._**

**_Scout's honour._**

**_Even though, you know, I'm not actually a scout._**

**_So._**

Chapter One

Flock get attacked by a new kind of Eraser, Angel and Total get separated from the Flock. They think the Flock are dead.

Two and Three

They go to Virginia, Angel enrols at a school, goes on a date with a guy called Louis. Angel and Total get into a fight. Angel and Louis kiss.

Four and Five

Angel is flying, her wings get tired and she falls, crashing into the ground. She finds out that the Flock are alive and that Nudge is pregnant.

Six, Seven, Eight and Nine

Angel leaves school, makes up with Total. They leave to try and find the Flock, stay at a hotel, leave the hotel. Angel falls again, and Total tries to save her – but can't. He finds Fang and Max, Angel wakes up, and they go to find the rest of the Flock.

Ten, Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen

Max and Fang tell the Flock that Angel and Total are still alive, big emotional hugs… Angel has to prove to Gazzy that she is actually his sister, by reading his mind. Total finds out that Akila's dead. Angel calls Louis, finds out he's actually a mutant called Subject Twenty-Seven when he, a woman (The Superior) and Erasers (SEM-59's) capture the Flock. Angel reads Nudge's baby's mind and finds out the father is Iggy.

Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen and Eighteen

Angel gets tortured in the Electricity Room, escapes from the room and finds Fang and Nudge. They escape to a cave. Gazzy escapes, but has to leave Max behind. Fang and Angel go back for a rescue mission in the middle of a huge storm. Angel finds out her new skill – psyche-exchange, where she can put her mind into someone else's body, and their mind goes into hers, in essence.

Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two

They try and free Total, they manage to get away, but still in the building. Angel uses some PE (psyche-exchange), finds a girl called Anastasia, who is going out with Subject Twnety-Seven. Gazzy finds Nudge, back at the cave. Max and Iggy escape. Anastasia uses PE with Total, then has Total captive. Angel and Fang realize Total is missing, Angel has a meeting with Anastasia, who is actually her twin sister. They meet up in KFC, as Anastasia has promised to return Total, in exchange for meeting Gazzy. Gazzy ends up liking her a lot.

Twenty-Three, Twenty-Four, Twenty-Five and Twenty-Six

Anastasia starts to live with the Flock in the cave. Everyone really likes her; Angel gets v. mad, then her wings freeze and she falls while flying again. She gets caught by the Superior, who tells her that she has a secret weapon – Anastasia, which is the reason why her wings keep failing her. Anastasia gets tortured, she is now on THE FLOCK'S SIDE!! Angel saves her. Fang and Gazzy go to get Anastasia and Angel. Nudge goes into labour. A and A kill the Superior.

Twenty Seven, Twenty-Eight, Twenty-Nine and Thirty

A and A find out that Subject Twenty-Seven was the Superior's lover. He sees her dead, and they all start fighting. In come Gazzy and Fang. Gazzy starts beating up Subject Twenty-Seven, because A and A are both knocked out. They all U and A. Gazzy blows up the place. Fang's computer's password is MAX. Nudge gives birth to a boy called Tiger Dynamite Storm. A and A, Fang and Gazzy see the Superior, alive.

Thirty-one, Thirty-two, Thirty-three, Thirty-four and Thirty-Five

A, A, F and G tell the rest of the Flock about how the Superior has come back to life. FAX MOMENT. The Flock decide to leave to go to Venice, but they get attacked by Erasers before they can leave. MAJOR FIGHT. N, F, G, M and I are all unconscious. Subject Twenty-Seven makes a deal with A and A – they go back to the Base (School no. 2) with him, and the Flock go free. Angel leaves a message on the wall –

_Hey guys. It's me, Angel._

_So the bad guys came, and did all this stuff. We should've really listened to you, Max, and left earlier, but that's all in the past now, so we can't change it, blah, blah, blah._

_I only have a minute, which is why I'm gonna make this quick. Subj. 27 gave us – that's me and Stace – a choice. Either he blew us all to kingdom come with his gun, or the two of us go with them, and they leave the rest of you alone forever. Think about it. Freedom forever. Pretty great, huh? And you've gotta understand. You've got Tiger. He's newborn. Whatever you do, don't come after us, otherwise they'll come after the flock again, and it'll be terrible if they get to him._

_D'you understand? If you come after us, you don't get freedom anymore._

_And, on a lighter note–_

_Have fun in Venice! Total, don't steal all the bitches' hearts (ha ha ha); Max, Fang… just get over your PDA-phobia. You're gonna be in ITALY, the __definition__ of romance; Iggy, Nudge, Tiger, can we be godmothers? And when you're there, try the Straciatella-flavoured ice cream. Apparently it's insanely good._

_We'll be fine. We've got each other._

_We love you guys._

_See ya._

_XOXOX_

_~Angel~ 0:)_

_P.S. Total, I love you so, so, ridiculously much, and I'm so sorry for that stupid fight about Louis or Subj. 27 or whatever. He wasn't worth it. I'm so glad I had you there all those years. I think I'd be completely CRAZY if I had no one with me. You were an awesome friend. You were the one that found the flock in the end, remember? And you saved my life. I owe you so much. So I guess this is my payback. Find a beautiful Italian Chihuahua. And I know you love those sausage dogs, too._

_P.P.S. __Anastasia__ (she hates Stace, apparently) :D wants to say hi and bye, and she's glad she met you all. And she also wants to say to you, Gazzy, our awesome bro, that she never knew anything related to her could_

The Flock find the message. Gazzy swears to kill Subj. 27 himself.

Thirty-Six, Thirty-Seven, Thirty-Eight, Thirty-Nine

A and A go through a trapdoor into an underground section of The Base. F, M and G leave for The Base to get A and A back. They find the trapdoor, get inside. The Superior tells A and A that one of them is going through an experiment involving DNA transfer – it could go badly wrong. They have to decide which of them does it.

Forty

They can't decide, so the Superior flips a coin. It's tails – meaning Angel will have to do it. Max tries to send thoughts to A and A – can't get through. Gazzy sees Max in hot pink underwear while they change into whitecoat outfits – cheapest one in the store. They go to a meeting along with all the other whitecoats. Anastasia changes into an identical Angel without Angel realizing it at first, then spins her around so the Erasers don't know which one is which. The Superior pulls the curtain in the meeting room, where M, F and G are – there is the cage there, where both of the 'Angels' are.

**_So I hope that's okay -- Are you all good and know the story?? Right, then. So you should expect an update soon, I reckon._**

**_XXX_**

**_Sophie Says Hi_**


	42. Onstage

**Onstage**

_What are you DOING?_

_I'm saving you, _Anastasia fired back. _Or trying to, at least._

_This is ridiculous! I'm not gonna let you do this._

_I'm doing it either way._

_What, you think you can just transform yourself into me, and that she'll pick you instead, thinking that you're me? Even if we look the same, we have different personalities, Stace._

_Anastasia, _she corrected. _And I can easily pull you off. The Superior doesn't even know you that well; she won't be able to tell the difference, anyway. We both act practically the same when we're around her._

_No we don't._

_Uh, yeah we do, _she thought. _We both act like we hate her more than anyone in the world – which we do – and basically just have fun pissing her off._

_Look, I'm not gonna sit here and–_

The curtains parted.

I scanned the faces of whitecoat after whitecoat, feeling frustration boil up inside of me as I saw that they all wore the same expression: confusion. And I realized that even if I told them that _I _was the real Angel, they would have no way of knowing for sure. The only thing I could do would be to turn _myself _into Anastasia, but that wouldn't work because…

Out of the blue, an idea occurred to me.

Two letters.

P.E.

I concentrated hard, trying to slip my mind into her body. But it was no use. She wasn't going anywhere.

_I hate you, Stace._

She smiled for one brief second, before the Superior's voice thundered, "_What the hell?"_

"'Sup, Supey," said Anastasia jovially. "Sorry about this. You know how much we love pissing you off."

I felt like strangling her.

She knew this, and it just made her laugh.

"I asked you to _watch them!" _she screamed at the Erasers standing behind us. "Do you find it beyond your mental capacity to be able to freaking _watch them? _It's not bloody _hard."_

Anastasia smiled – then it faltered, and faded.

_If one of us is smiling all the time and one of us isn't, _she thought, _it's a bit obvious who's who, isn't it?_

_I was hoping you wouldn't realize that, Stace. But I lost, fairly. If it were the other way round, you would want the same thing._

_If it were the other way round, _she countered, _Wouldn't you do the same for me?_

_No, I wouldn't!_

_Don't lie to me, Angel._

_I'M NOT LYING! THIS IS SO FREAKING–_

But my sentence was cut short, for Anastasia had completely sealed her mind to mine. I couldn't get through at all.

I screamed in frustration – _internally, _of course.

"Well," the Superior snapped, bringing me crashing back. "I'll go on, then, because frankly, I don't care which of you is killed."

There was one audible gasp at this from the audience.

The Superior exhaled in frustration, and spoke three words, flat, clear, lethal. "Who was that?"

No one replied.

"One of you had better answer me," she snarled. "I haven't been having the best day, and if you don't answer me, whoever you are–"

"It's this guy here!" called one of the whitecoats hurriedly. "Your Greatness, it's him!"

And I just couldn't help myself.

"_Your Greatness?" _I scoffed.

**MAX POV**

"For God's sake, Gazzy," I hissed. "If Angel or Anastasia or whoever that was didn't just say that, you would've given us away. _Keep quiet."_

"But didn't you hear her?" he said in disbelief. "She said that she would _kill _one of them."

"And how many death threats have we had, Gaz?" I asked. "Yeah, exactly. These guys are going down. But you have to wait for my order."

He scowled. "Fine, Your Bossiness."

"Ha, ha," I snapped. "Now shut up. We've got to keep alert."

In the cage, both of the Angels were shooting insults and comebacks at The Superior and most of the whitecoats, of which some had stood up.

"Shut your worthless faces, mutants!" one yelled.

"First of all," one of the Angels retorted. "Your precious Greatness is currently _sleeping _with a mutant. And secondly, if these idiot Erasers hadn't locked us to these damn chairs, I would kick your ass."

The Superior had turned a dangerous shade of red.

"Don't talk to the Superior like that!" shrieked another. "Have some respect!"

The other Angel snorted. "Respect? _Respect? _Are you kidding me? Do you actually want to talk to people you have _caged _and are going to _run experiments on _about respect? And about your Superior. She's a bitch."

At this, the whole audience rose up in simultaneous fury and began shouting at them – all except us, that was.

"We need to stand up, too," I said. "Otherwise it'll look suspicious."

Gazzy turned to face me, completely incredulous. "I'm not joining _them."_

"Stand up, Gaz," said Fang, who was already getting to his feet.

"No," he said.

I grabbed his arm and jerked him up.

"Get off me!" he snapped. "I hate this!"

I ignored him. "We need to start shouting."

"You've _got _to be joking," the Gasman said.

Fang turned to me, a similar expression on his face. So naturally, I was expecting a similar remark from him.

"Max," he said firmly. "I don't shout."

"Please," I said. "Please, both of you. It's the only way to get them out, trust me."

"This is _ridiculous," _Gazzy snapped. "They're just there, and you want us to become freaking _whitecoats!"_

"_Please, _Gazzy," I begged, squeezing my eyes shut as if that would help.

And when I opened my eyes, I found another pair of eyes locked with mine, staring right back at me.

It was Angel. Or rather, one of them.

**Angel POV**

Max was here? _Max? _And Gazzy and Fang, too?

I needed to tell Anastasia, so that we could–

_Damn._

I knew nothing good would come of her shutting me off completely. And now, since I wasn't shouting back at the whitecoats and the Superior, she was doing it all herself – and I couldn't get her attention at all.

I tried with my mind, over and over again, as I attempted to catch her eye by leaning over as far as I could in my seat. But she seemed determined not to look at me, just in case I would pull a move and show everyone who really was who, I guessed.

Finally, I gave up, and searched for Max again. I found her quickly, and we exchanged thoughts.

_Max! You're here._

_Angel, is that you?_

_Yeah, Anastasia's just complicated things. And I can't get a hold of her right now... we're kind of having a fight. I think._

_That sucks, _she replied. _But I need you to, uh, act less obvious. _She tore her gaze away from mine, and started pumping her fist in the air, like everyone else._ I reckon the Superior's caught on to your sudden quietness, and she probably knows something's up. We'll save you. Just not right now. I promise._

_Thanks, Max._

_No worries. It's what I'm here for, right?_

So I swallowed my feelings of hope and joy, and put on a mask of something like hysterical sneering – the exact same face as Anastasia's.

And I did what I do best.

I insulted.

**MAX POV**

"Guys," I said excitedly. "I just–"

"You just _what, _Max?" Gazzy asked tiredly. "Guess what? We don't care. All you're going to say is, 'act like a bloody whitecoat.' Because it was so easy getting here, wasn't it? You know, _I _thought we were here to save my sisters, but apparently it's so we get to practice whitecoat behaviour firsthand. Not that I'm complaining. It's _very _useful."

"Gaz," Fang said. "You really have become a jerk recently, you know that?"

"'Course you'd stand up for the girl you love, _Wangster," _he snorted. "Even though you'd prefer to keep all that little love inside your little shell, and hide away from everyone, whining every day on that little blog of yours about _our _lives."

Fang's hand curled into a fist; a muscle in his jaw twitched.

"Gasman," I hissed. "Shut your mouth. I just want you to be completely quiet. Don't say _anything _from now on."

"Max, I know you're into Fang and everything, but asking me to _be _him…" The Gasman scoffed. "That's a little kinkier than I thought."

"I swear to God–" Fang growled.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I spun around, angry.

"Been a while," smirked Subject Twenty-Seven. "You guys didn't get Angel's note?"

The Gasman, his face suddenly clouded over with violence, pushed me aside, and slammed the hardest punch I have ever seen, right into his nose.

"That," the Gasman snarled, "Was for my sisters, you prick."

Subject Twenty-Seven crumpled, and everyone went silent.

**_So how was that for a chapter after about a year...? I'M SO SORRY._**

**_I will make up for it._**

**_I swear._**

**_Now.. Reviews?? PLEASE?_**

**_Thanks!!! You know I love you._**


	43. Memories

**_Just in case anyone forgot, when Anastasia was all pro-Superior, she used to go out with Subject Twenty-Seven, and she called him 'Tee' for short. (As in, Subject TwenTEE Seven)._**

**_Also, SEM-59 is the official name for this new branch of Eraser. The School/Base/whitecoat name for an Eraser._**

**_Read on!_**

**Memories**

It took Max all of one second to jerk the Gasman away from Subject Twenty-Seven, preventing him from causing any more damage than had already been caused to reveal who they really were.

It took the Gasman all of one second to yell at Max for doing so.

It took Fang all of one second to crack his knuckles and scan the whitecoats, searching for anyone who looked particularly threatening – mostly, though, they all just seemed shocked.

It took Anastasia all of one second to realize that I had known that Max, Fang and the Gasman were here.

It took the Superior all of two seconds to recognise them.

I guess bird genes meant that we just had better reactions.

"_Get them!" _she screamed. "And for God's sake, if you let any of them escape, I will _kill you!"_

The whitecoats moved all at once, sprinting towards them and screaming war-cries at the tops of their voices. Some of them had even got out their test-tubes and were waving them about like weapons.

Come _on._

I think I saw Max laugh a little at the sight of the whitecoats, eyes wild, charging towards them, despite the fact that we – Max, Fang, Gazzy, Anastasia and I, that was – faced possible death.

Max, Fang and Gazzy shot upwards, their wings spread out either side of them, leaving the furious whitecoats down below. At the same time, hundreds of Erasers began pouring into the room.

That's right.

_Hundreds._

My eyes widened. Whitecoats,, sure, they could take care of. Erasers were a different story.

_Angel! _Anastasia's voice resounded through my head.

_So you're back now, _I thought bitterly.

_Shut up. We need to get out of here._

I scoffed. _How?_

I had said that we were 'caged'. I lied, in part. We were locked up, but there weren't any _bars _around us. The Superior knew what our skills were; Anastasia had told her, back when she worked for _them. _As a result, the Superior had put us in a glass box, guarded by Erasers – and by glass, I meant _bulletproof _glass. Four-inch-thick glass. You would think, wouldn't you, that we wouldn't be able to hear through such glass. But the people we were dealing with? Of course they had the most advanced technology.

Lucky us.

So that ruled out the whole breaking out scenario. As well as anyone from the outside – namely Max, Fang or Gazzy – breaking _in._

_How? _I asked her again.

She gave me the smallest of smiles; so small that even the Erasers – who, after the commotion had begun, had never left their eyes from the 'cage' – didn't detect it, and thought, _P.E._

_P.E.? She's going to know about that. She DOES know about it._

_Yeah, _she thought, _but no._

_Yeah but no? For God's sake, don't give me freaking riddles, Stace! What's going on?_

_It's Anastasia, _she thought. _And yeah, she knows, but only to a certain extent. She knows that I can do it with you – but that's where she's also wrong._

_What do you MEAN?_

_I mean, she thinks I can only do it with you. She doesn't know that we can do it with anyone else._

_That's good, _I thought. _Really, really good. But even if we use P.E., who's going to be able to get through four-inch-thick glass?_

She grinned. _Don't worry, Angel. The Superior might never have given me any important information, for fear of me turning on her –_

_Clever her._

_Well, she underestimated me. You see, there was this one whitecoat, Fitz. He was different. He wasn't the average whitecoat, you know? He was born and raised at the Base, so he was pretty young when I met him. He worked in technology, but he never knew about the mutants… until I told him._

_Tell me now. Is this some weird love story?_

_No, no, _she assured me. _No way. I was – ugh – too in love with Subject Twenty-Seven._

_I thought it was 'Tee'? _I joked.

_Never again, _she replied, shuddering. _Fitz and I, we__ just saw each other around, and one day, about three years ago, the Superior had needed something fixed, got me to go and tell him, and we just got talking. I showed him my wings, and he thought they were pretty cool – but then he heard about the treatment of the other mutants, and he was horrified._

_I thought you were all for torture and all that jazz._

_I… was. But he was interesting. Like I said, he was different. I liked him, for some–_

At that moment, I heard a yell, and saw that the Erasers and Max, Fang and the Gasman were all fighting in mid-air, the whitecoats resolving to throw their test-tubes up at them. One had just hit Gazzy in the face, and now glass was embedded in his left cheek. He yanked it out and swiped his arm, using the glass to slice the neck of one of the Erasers. It plummeted.

_Be quick, _I pressed.

_Fine, _Anastasia thought. _See it – it'll be quicker._

She closed her eyes and thought of the memory. I closed my own, and, like clockwork, it began to play in mine.

* * *

_Before the girl stands an attractive-looking young man. I say man, although he can't be more than twenty. He is tall and lean, with brown hair cut short and grey eyes. _

"_Hey – you're that girl, right?" he asks, turning around in his chair._

_The girl smiles, cocky. She looks about fourteen, herself. "What girl?"_

"_That prize girl, the princess," he says. "The Superior's 'daughter'."_

_She leans, flirtatious, towards him, catching his gaze. "Do you like princesses?"_

_He stares straight back, undeterred. "I think that princesses should mind their own business."_

_She hesitates. She has never been spoken back to before, not a day in her life. She feels a challenge._

"_I disagree," she says. "I think that princesses deserve to know other people's business. They're not stupid, you know."_

_He nods. "Oh yeah?"_

"_I'm not stupid," she corrects, utterly frank. "I'm not just an ordinary, stupid girl."_

"_Prove it," he says._

_She walks towards the door, shuts it, and turns around. He seems suspicious._

"_What're you doing?"_

"_You're one of those technology guys, right?" she asks. "You don't know squat about what happens around here. The Base is here for a whole lot more than just developing technology. The Superior has done a lot more."_

_Then she snaps open her wings, and an expression of shock flashes across his face._

"_What on earth…?"_

"_Mutants, techie-boy, mutants," she says. "That's what the Base was really built for."_

"_You're a…"_

"_Mutant, yes," she finishes. "And there're a lot more of us."

* * *

_

The memory flashed into a different one. I could tell that this one had happened a while later, perhaps a year or two later, for the two of them looked slightly older, and the whitecoat – Fitz – was in a different office.

* * *

"_Well done on your promotion," smiles the girl. "The Superior asked me to deliver this card, saying congrats. But don't get your hopes up – Tee typed it up. They say they want a whole group of you techies working on something. Have they told you about the existence of mutants yet?"_

"Yeah_," he says, throwing the card into the bin. "I acted surprised. The rest of them are celebrating downstairs – they still can't believe it."_

"_Well, it took you a while," she answers. "So what's this thing you have to work on? The Superior says it's not a big deal, but…"_

"_It's a huge deal," he says. "I just… I don't know if I want to do it, or not. I don't like this mutants thing. You, I'm okay with. But I would have liked you if you were fully human, too."_

"_Hey!"_

"_Shut it – you know I'm kidding," he smiles. "You're my best friend, Anna. You know that. And Happy Birthday, by the way. Sixteen, right?"_

"_Aw, thanks," she says. "But I don't know what you've got against mutants. Besides Tee, the SEM-59's and I, of course."_

"_I'm not against them. I'm against the treatment of them," he says. "We've been through this thousands of times."_

"_There's nothing wrong with it," she argues. "They're just experiments, Fitz."_

"_Just experiments?" he shouts. "God, Anna, they're alive, you know! They're not just bloody experiments! You don't understand! Your head is just freaking filled with your boyfriend and the Superior and you never understand that this is all WRONG! You've heard about that new installation, right? The Electricity Room. I refused to help build that, and almost got murdered because of it."_

"_It's good," she says. "You're so touchy, sometimes. These experiments have helped us get where we are now. And I just came in to hear your news and tell you about my own."_

_He scowls. "What?"_

"_Pretty much everyone here stays here all the time, right? I mean – you've never left, right? Ever?"_

_His expression darkens further. "Get to the point."_

"_Ten years ago, there were these group of kids – avian mutants, like me. They threatened to expose our secrets, and as a result, the School was finished. Now they've been rediscovered, and the Superior herself wants my help. Can you believe it? I'm so excited – finally I can be of some help, you know?"_

"_Anna…" he says._

"_So? What was your big project?" she asks. "And you have to do it. Please? Otherwise, this time… they could kill you."_

"_I know they could," he says. "They probably will. Since my mom died, they're not going to give me another chance like before."_

"_Anyway," she hints._

"_Oh yeah," he says, unenthusiastic. "They want me to help build a new mutant. A – and I quote – killing machine. The ultimate mutant. They want me to be the head of this, to 'direct' it. But I don't want to do it."_

"_Fitz," she says slowly. "This is incredible. And you have to do it – or you could die."_

"_I don't freaking care," he snaps._

"_Think of me, Fitz," she pleads. "If you die, I'm stuck alone with everyone out there."_

_There is the longest silence._

_And then he nods._


	44. Fitz

**Fitz**

**_Total POV_**

"Are they still not back?" I asked, walking up to Iggy.

"Yeah, Total, they're here," he answered, sarcastic. "Look – there's Fang!"

"You can't look," I pointed out. "And very funny."

"Thanks for that," he replied. "But no, Total, in answer to your question. They're still not back. They _should _be back. It's been too long."

Nudge traipsed over to us, Tiger cradled in the alcove of her arm. She slipped her other arm around Iggy and kissed his cheek.

"You guys worried about them?" she asked. "I am, too. I think something might have happened to them, and I really think we should go and see what's going on."

"I totally agree," said Iggy. "The thing is, we can't leave Tiger here and we can't take him with us."

"That's true," I said. "What if the Erasers come? _I _propose a–"

But of course. No-one wanted to listen to Total.

"What're we going to do?" asked Nudge tearfully. "What if anyone's… _dead?"_

"No-one's dead, Nudge," said Iggy firmly. "And I'll go."

"You're _blind, _Ig," she said. "You'll probably get killed. You won't be of much use to anyone down there, and you know it."

Nudge was probably the only one of us who could say that to his face and not get kicked in the ass. He slumped.

"You're right," he said. "What freaking use am I?"

"You're a lot of use," she replied, "With Tiger. _I'll _go down."

"No," he said. "Absolutely not. You can't. You're still pretty weak, Nudge. _You'll _get killed."

They turned towards me.

"Fine," I grumbled. "I'll go. I'll get killed. He's just a dog, right? No use to anyone."

"Total," mumbled Nudge, on the verge of tears again. "What if someone's dead? You could help them."

I felt a wave of loyalty to the Flock, and of worry, the utmost worry, that any of them – especially Angel – was dead.

I sprinted towards the edge of the cliff, my tiny legs a blur beneath me, and pitched myself off the cliff, unfurling my wings. They caught a gust of air and yanked me to a halt, then carried me forwards, forwards, towards the looming Base.

I would save them. I knew I would.

It was time for Total to have his share in saving the world.

**_Angel POV_**

"Anastasia…" I whispered. _"What?"_

_I'm pretty sure it's finished, _she thought. _So you're going to use P.E., get inside his head, wait there while I talk to Fitz here, and then you can come back. He'll get his __ü__ber-strong mutant and it'll bust us out of here._

I glanced back at the mayhem before us, and nodded.

Then I closed my eyes and thought of Fitz; of his wilful grey eyes and the crooked arch of his mouth, of his shoulders and his hands and his voice, low, adamant, distinct. I opened my mind to the endless corridors in the Base, swerving down each one, bursting into empty rooms and empty thoughts, then finally, at long last, I found him.

I hesitated for one brief moment, then I dove into his mind, propelling him away. I was really getting quite skilled at this.

I opened my _– his –_ eyes.

His office was white, large, characteristically whitecoat. And yet… I knew instantly that it wasn't. That _he _wasn't.

There was a brown jacket cast over the chair and the musk – _his _musk – lingered in the air, evidence that he had been here moments before. I took a deep breath, taking it in. Then I felt a rush of guilt, like I was some sort of creep. But I couldn't hold back the torrent of thoughts through my mind.

_Whitecoats don't smell like that… They smell of disinfectant and chemicals… This guy… Fitz… he's more…_

"What the _hell, _Angel?" I demanded, aloud.

Then I froze. His voice, in the flesh, was louder, more lifelike, than it had been in Anastasia's memories. It was, to be completely honest, a great voice.

"Angel," I said again, in his voice, softly this time. "I love you."

And I blushed.

I freaking _blushed._

From that moment onwards, I sat rigid, waiting, fighting the urge to snoop around, or God forbid, talk anymore. I was above this. _Wasn't I?_

_Angel, _came Anastasia's voice, two seconds later, making me jump. _I need you to swap back._

I closed my eyes once more and thought of myself, trapped in the 'cage' with Anastasia.

_So? _I thought, overly bright, as soon as I was back. _What did he say?_

She looked at me for a second, before answering. _He said sure. Are you… okay, Angel?_

_Peachy, _I thought hurriedly. _Why?_

_You look flushed._

_Well, if you haven't noticed, _I replied defensively, _there IS a massive fight going on right before us._

_You do know that I can look through your mind._

_We have an agreement, _I thought. _An unspoken one, maybe, but still. Do you want ME going through your mind? Huh?_

_Jeez, cool it._

_Sorry. _I exhaled. _So when do we get out?_

_Right about… now._

I looked upwards, just as a huge, crashing noise came from the door, and it splintered, falling apart.

_If that's the mutant, _I thought, in awe, _Fitz did a great job._

_He sure did._

Heads swivelled around; the fighting fleetingly stopped in mid-air.

I expected a horrifying, gargantuan monster. It wasn't.

The 'über-strong mutant' had powerful-looking, dark brown wings and four black stripes were streaked across its face. It didn't look like anything special. A _normal _mutant, perhaps, but not the best.

Then it let out a terrifying roar.

I glanced over at the Superior; a smug smile was playing on her face. But if she thought that the mutant was on her side, she had another think coming. The smile faded a second later.

The mutant had swiped its claws across an Eraser's exposed neck; it crumpled. Barely skipping a beat, it sped towards our 'cage', and rammed its feet into it with extreme force. In that one instant, I saw that its feet had shoes on – _human _shoes.

The glass shattered. The mutant turned around, and spoke anxiously; a voice I recognized immediately, for I had heard not even half a minute before.

"You okay?"

Anastasia blinked.

"_Fitz?"_

The Erasers guarding us sprang into action, leaping towards him. I stared at Fitz, a man I had envisioned as a human, and nothing more. His body was a human one, like ours, but he was a _mutant. _And a lethal one at that.

"What… happened…?" breathed Anastasia. "He hates violence."

I was astounded, thinking of something along the same lines, but I forced myself to stand up and pull her up, too.

"Come on," I said. "It's time to end all of this."

My words seemed to bring her back into focus, and we snapped our wings out, speeding away from the stage and into the chaos.

"MAX!" I bellowed, as Anastasia sheered away to launch an attack on one of the Erasers. "FANG! GAZZY!"

I glanced around, trying to think straight, to locate them or kill a few Erasers, at the very least, when an uppercut flew to my jaw, knocking me unconscious for a split second, before I was startled awake, still falling. Feeling a wave of heated anger course through me, I curled away from the ground, swiping my fists at anything close to me.

"MAX!" I repeated. "ANASTASIA, FANG, GAZZY!"

Amidst the hundreds of screaming bodies, I was certain that they couldn't hear me. Yet, I kept shouting their names, hoping beyond hope that one of them would answer.

I moved forwards blindly, kicking and biting and scrambling through the crowd, all of whom were intent on murdering me. I was numb, feeling no pain.

That was a lie.

I was numb, yes, but everything was pain.

The world to me was just a huge mass of inescapable pain.

All I could do was fight for survival. Kill or be killed. It was as simple as that.

I tried using my mind as a weapon, to persuade the Erasers into suicide, but my mind was my destruction. As soon as I opened it, in rushed a flood of agonizing thoughts, of all the thoughts of everything around me. When I used my mind, everyone else's pain became my own.

You would think, by now, I would be able to control it. _I _would think so, too.

But when there were hundreds of minds, all in excruciating torment, it was too much. It made me sick to my stomach. It made me throw up, over and over again.

I needed to get out.

I needed to help my Flock.

I needed to end this.

It was the same thing, wasn't it?

Kill or be killed. Save myself or save everyone else.

I guess the majority always wins.

* * *

_**Keep reviewing and I'll keep updating! x**_


	45. Torture

**Torture**

**Total POV**

I was standing in the wreckage of what must have been one of the Gasman's top ten achievements, the first being the time he did fifteen consecutive somersaults in mid-air while eating two donuts. Needless to say, he had hurled for hours afterwards. I was the only one who felt sorry for the people below; everyone else laughed. All the rest were explosions, whether from bombs he had made himself or… well, _literally_ himself.

There was no way in. I'd looked everywhere. I knew it was underground. Dogs didn't have _this _sense of smell for nothing.

"Figure it out, Total," I said aloud. "Come _on. _There must be a way in. Everyone's counting on you."

So I stuck my nose right back to the ground – trying to get the niggling feeling that I was getting dangerously close to becoming a common bloodhound out of my head – and sniffed.

_Dirt, dirt, dirt, dirt, dirt, food, dirt, dirt…_

I halted abruptly, and backtracked a few steps.

_Food._

There it was. It was faint, sure, but I could smell food. My stomach growled, but I forced away my hunger. This must have meant a way in. I scraped away piles of earth and rubble, and finally I hit metal. Half-whimpering with excitement, I kept digging, and was finally left with a tiny vent, so cleverly camouflaged into the earth that it was invisible unless you were right there, like I was.

Clamping my teeth over the bars, I yanked repeatedly, until there was an opening big enough for a small terrier with wings to easily fit through.

And it just so happened that I was a small terrier with wings.

I grinned.

_Ready or not, here comes Total…_

Then I squeezed my eyes shut and jumped.

**Angel POV**

I'd made the decision, and I was sticking to it.

No longer caring in the least about my own wellbeing, I was killing as many Erasers and whitecoats as I could, gritting my teeth with every slash of a claw across my skin, and with every test-tube that was rammed into me.

I suddenly caught sight of the Gasman, thrashing against a hoard of Erasers that had surrounded him. Shouting his name at the top of my voice, I barrelled into one of them, raking my fingernails down the front of its face.

It let out a bloodcurdling scream and spun around faster than I would have ever thought possible, its eyes scarlet with blood, and crushed my left arm in its jaws.

I nearly fainted.

Feeling white-hot pain burn through me, I swung my free fist into its temple, causing it to buckle. Blinking furiously to keep the tears at bay, I launched kicks, fuelled with utmost rage, at the nearby Erasers, unable to hear Gazzy's yells at me to get away.

Of course I wouldn't leave them. I would fight. Like I said, I had made the decision.

But there were too many of them for me.

Bracing myself, I opened my mind, and cried out.

Every single agonizing feeling in the room was sucked into my mind, becoming my own. I screamed again, and closed my mind once more.

"You have to do it, Angel!" I shouted out loud, because thinking would make me sick again. "Suck it up. Don't be weak."

"ANGEL!" The Gasman was bellowing. "Whatever you're doing, _stop it!"_

I managed a little smile. "Don't worry, Gaz. You'll be fine."

Then I opened my mind again, prepared for the overwhelming multitude of thoughts that was coming. Immediately, I struggled against it, and pinched myself, hard. In that instant, I used the pain I had caused in my arm to let my mind overcome everyone else's.

Everything was blissfully calm for a fleeting moment.

Then I felt it come rushing back, and I knew that every second would not only be a physical fight, but a mental one, too. There was more pain in my mind again; trying to hold everything back was costing me, draining me of my energy. It hurt now more than ever, but at least I could _use _my mind this time.

So I couldn't waste any one of those precious seconds.

I faced each overcoming Eraser, and fired a thought at them, telling them to kill themselves. With each death I caused, however, I paid for it, feeling all their pain.

An eye for an eye.

Or some cruel rendition of it.

My left arm was still aching horribly; it was probably broken. But I stood my ground, a lethal killing machine – a machine that was slowly being destroyed, bleeding out internally as well as externally.

I glanced upwards. I didn't know if there was a God, but I sure as hell wasn't going to take my chances now.

_Please, _I begged. _Let death be quick. There's too much pain here._

My prayer, like everything else, had a price to pay.

I stupidly hadn't been aware of the advancing Eraser, and, smiling manically, it swiped its claws at me, throwing me across the room.

Or maybe God wasn't making me pay. Maybe he was just answering my prayer.

I crashed into a wall and slid to the ground. The side of my face split open; my mouth tasted like rust.

_So this is death, _I mused. _Killed by a common Eraser._

I was about to close my eyes, when I jerked awake. Out of the corner of my right eye, I saw the Superior running away out of a side door, Subject Twenty-Seven hot on her heels.

_You're not getting away from me. _

There was only rage, then, and the bitter need of revenge.

Oh, and of course.

I couldn't forget _pain._

…

They didn't notice that I was sprinting after them, despite the fact that I was grunting in pain and exhaustion with every step I took, because the Superior was hastily talking to Subject Twenty-Seven. I wanted to scream at them. Heck, I wanted to kill them there and then. But I needed to hear what they were saying.

"That boy," she snapped. "What's his name? The one who made the strongest mutant that exists – the one who bloody _became _the mutant himself. _Tee! _Tell me!"

He practically choked out the words in his hurry to get them out. "It's Grey. Fitz Grey. We'll have him killed, don't you worry."

"Are you _insane?" _she burst out.

They rounded a corner and I flattened myself against a wall, staying motionless as she stopped, her chest heaving, and turned on him.

"That boy's got more intelligence than all the others put together," she said. "We _need _him. He built himself to become like that – you know how much I want to expand the research of the human/mutant barrier. He's _perfect. _I just don't know why he's suddenly on their side."

I watched, disgusted, as Subject Twenty-Seven stepped forwards and kissed her, hard, on the mouth.

"I suggest my favourite method," he murmured. "Torture should get him to help. Torture always works."

"The Electricity Room?" she scoffed. "The way those idiot twins tried to kill me?"

"No one will ever manage to kill you," he smiled.

I couldn't wait any longer, and used that as my cue, stepping away from the wall.

"Well, I sure as hell can try."


	46. Footprints

**Footprints**

SORRY..... again. I've already written the next few chapters, so reviews and I will update. I SWEAR.

**Angel POV**

The Superior smirked.

"_Angel," _she crooned. "I'm so glad you came, although you _do _look a bit… bashed up. That's a shame. We need you in top condition when we run those experiments on you."

"Leave your words for someone who gives a damn," I snarled. "I don't actually care if I live or die anymore. But if I die, I'm dragging you two down with me."

"Angel," grinned Subject Twenty-Seven. "That's a bit hardcore – even for you. Turned Goth, have we?"

"I would laugh right now," I growled. "Except that it wasn't funny, and I'm currently facing the two people I hate most in the world."

"What about Hitler?" he asked, still snickering.

"I know you worship him and all," I said, not missing a beat, "But he never kept me in cages and ran tests on me. He never tried to murder my friends and take away my freedom. He never broke my sister's heart. He never showcased me to a room like I didn't exist. He never threw a freaking coin to decide my fate. So yeah, I hate you more."

"Before you _try _and kill me," he said. "I want you to know that you can never kill the Superior. She's pretty much immortal."

I nearly burst out laughing, despite the circumstances. His _face. _I mean, you'd think she was a freaking _god. _

"That's okay," I said, chortling. "I can deal with 'pretty much'. 'Pretty much' is a piece o' cake."

So saying, I snapped out my wings and launched myself at her, but I never got there. Subject Twenty-Seven grabbed one of my wings and wrenched it away from me. I felt a hundred pinpricks of pain erupt across my wing, where he had ripped out feathers. It was nothing, however, compared to the feeling in my shoulder, where I had felt the blinding pain of my ligaments being torn in two.

My wing hung limp. I couldn't move it, and when I tried, I felt like I was being ripped apart.

"Try again." He cracked up. "Although I thought that _angels _couldn't fly without their wings."

I bit back a scream, this time, as he slashed a gaping hole through my other wing using his claws, and fell to my knees, the tears and the blood on my cheeks blurring together.

He bent down, looking me dead in the eye.

"This is it, Angel," he smiled. "Now that we know how capable that Fitz Grey is, we don't need to go to the Emperor of Japan for his technology. Which means we can use _Anastasia _for the experiments. Which means that we don't need you. Which means that you can die now."

He was still staring into my eyes.

I grabbed my chance.

_Die, _I thought.

His mouth fell open, as if to say something, then his hands looped around his neck and he began to squeeze, suffocating himself.

I had killed people before. But it was a completely different thing having someone strangle himself to death when he was barely an inch away from you. Especially if you had kissed him before.

He fell forwards, onto my lap and I felt a sense of relief, combined with revulsion.

I allowed myself two seconds, before standing up.

"Superior," I said, grinning evilly. "You know how they always say that revenge is sweet? It really is."

She rolled her eyes. _"Please. _You heard what he said. I can't die, unlike him. He turned out to be weak, just like the others. Even if you kill me now, I'll come back to life."

I cracked my knuckles. "I'm not planning to kill you _now, _Supey. No, you've got it all wrong. I'm killing you, sure, but not _now."_

"It's not going to work," she said. "You've already tried to do it before."

"I want you to tell me why you can't be killed," I said. "And you'd better do it soon, or things are going to get nasty."

"Are you seriously stupid enough to think I'm going to tell you? But then," she added, musing, "I wouldn't put it past you."

I grinned, letting her insults roll off me. I stepped forwards, looking down at the dead mutant at my feet. I prodded his face with the front of my shoe.

"I believe it was Subject Twenty-Seven," I began, glancing upwards again, "That said to you, a couple of minutes ago, that 'torture always works'?"

**Total POV**

I had never seen anything like this in all my years as a mutant, talking, black Canine American with wings.

Before me, in this huge room, were hundreds of Erasers and whitecoats, many scattered across the floor, lying motionless, and many more swooping through the air, stampeding across the ground. The noise was deafening, a clamor of screams. I scanned the multitude of Erasers and whitecoats, each with a look of murderous intent in its eye, and took a sharp intake of breath. _What's going on? _A mutant that looked similar to one of the Flock, but who definitely _wasn't, _was in the middle, lashing out and killing Erasers faster than I had ever thought possible. He was powerful, exceptionally powerful. And, for some reason, he seemed to be on our side. Suddenly, something scraped up against the gutter I was standing in, and then two huge eyes were staring back at me. Before it could react, I jumped, kicking all four of my feet down on the metal, and crashed through the gutter, slamming it into the Eraser's face from above. It fell away, screeching. I plummeted through the air, for the gutter had been in the ceiling, and, as quickly as I could, I unfurled my wings.

Even now, the feeling of flying made me catch my breath. Who would've ever thought a _dog _could fly, some might have said, but I was _Total the Terrific Terrier. _And I was going to save the Flock.

Then I caught sight of an all-too-familiar figure, and I was jerked to attention. "Gazzy!" I yelled.

He turned; there was an instant when he seemed confused. Then he swerved away from an advancing Eraser, diving towards me, shouting, "Total! Get the heck out of here!"

A test-tube flew through the air, missing him by millimeters; he didn't seem to notice. That was when I realized there were tears streaking down his cheeks.

"Gazzy…" I said.

My mind was filled with a whirling mass of horrors. What had happened? I could only think of one possible incident.

_Death?_

Who had it been?

"Gazzy," I said again, loudly, as he came nearer. "Gazzy, what happened?"

"It was Angel," he whispered. "Total, she was up to something, and then - and then - an Eraser came…"

At the name, I had felt my whole being slacken. _It can't be…_

"She was caught off-guard," he went on. "And it just… she crashed into the wall over there, there was so much blood. That's all I saw. Now I can't find her anywhere. All these stupid Erasers-"

Mid-sentence, an Eraser smashed into him and he was knocked out of sight. I watched as they fought, the Gasman's limbs a blur as he landed blows on the Eraser, the Eraser trying - and succeeding - to retaliate. I needed to help, but Angel was heavy in my mind. I needed to see what had happened, if she was really… I couldn't bear to think that she was dead.

I folded my wings and dove towards the ground, heading straight for the wall the Gasman had pointed a shaking finger towards. I swallowed, trying to hold back an urge to throw up, as I caught sight of blood smeared against the wall, gleaming crimson against a backdrop of white. Angel was nowhere to be seen.

As I landed, I racked my brains, trying to think where she could be. I wouldn't be surprised if an Eraser had come down and taken her away for din-dins, but I was hoping beyond hope that she was still alive, still breathing. Reluctantly, I looked at the blood, then lowered my eyes, following it. A trail of bloody footprints - human footprints - trailed off from the puddle of blood that had collected on the floor, towards a door, half-ajar. _Could she be there?_

I batted my wings, speeding away from the room, unable to bear looking back, my eyes instead fixed on the ever scarlet footprints.


	47. Love And War

**Love and War**

**Nudge POV**

It had been too long since Total - and the rest of them - had been gone. I strode out of the cave to the edge of the cliff, where Iggy was standing, Tiger fast asleep in the curve of my arm. He turned his head slightly towards me, his face blank, then turned away. I bit my lip.

"Iggy," I said. "I'm so worried. Total's been gone for ages, and Max, Fang and the Gasman still aren't back. What if… they never come back? Oh, God, Iggy, I couldn't deal with that. I just wish we could go down there and _help, _you know? This is killing me. It really is, and I-"

"I'm going down there," he cut in.

I drew back. "No. No, you're not."

"Yes, I am," he retorted. "What if they're _dying, _Nudge. Then what? You expect me just to stay here, playing house with you and Tiger?"

"_What _did you just say?" I said, horrified. "Iggy, that was really _mean."_

"I didn't mean it like that," he said tiredly. "Nudge, I just need to go and help them. If something happens, I want to know that I did everything I could."

"So do I," I returned, "But we have _Tigs _to worry about now."

"Tigs?"

"Tiger," I said. "Whatever."

"Angel said in her message that the Erasers would leave us be," he said. "Which means that if I go, you'll be safe here with Tiger."

"Ig, you're blind."

"Yeah," he said defensively. "So?"

"You _know _what I'm getting at," I snapped. "So I'll go and you can stay."

"Are you _kidding _me?" he said. "No way; I'm going."

"If this is some stupid, male ego thing…" I trailed off. "It so is, isn't it?"

"I just feel like _I _should be the one to go, since you've just _given birth,_" he said. "You're still weak."

"I am not still weak, you sexist pig," I said heatedly. "I'm fine. We Avian-Americans heal quickly, you know that."

"But-"

"See you," I said, handing Tiger over to him before catapulting myself into the air.

_"Wait!" _he shouted.

I hovered. "What now?"

His face softened. "Good luck, and… oh, take these. They should help."

He pulled five grenades out of his pocket and a bigger black bomb from another, then tossed them to me, where I crammed them into every pocket I had. I had no idea how he and the Gasman managed to carry so many bombs in their pockets, since I was struggling, and ended up carrying one in each hand.

"See you," I repeated.

"Love you," he replied.

I smiled, then dove towards the place where first Max, Fang and the Gasman had gone, followed by Total. This was the first place I would look, even though they looked like wastelands. That's where my bird kid, super sense of direction was telling me to go. And when had any of us ignored _that?_

**Max POV**

My eyes were wild as I slammed a roundhouse kick into the tenderness of an Eraser's neck. It choked, then its body fell out of sight. Unable to waste a single moment, I plunged towards another Eraser, grabbing a flying test-tube on the way and smashing it into the side of its face, followed by two swift punches. As it fell, I caught a glimpse of my hands and arms, spattered with blood, my own and others, and squeezed my eyes tight shut. If this wasn't hell, I didn't know what was.

_Maximum._

I couldn't believe it. _Voice?_

_Concentrate. _Sensing an Eraser behind me, I sent my elbow crashing into it, hearing a satisfying crack. _Well done._

_What d'you mean, well done? Voice, where've you been all this time? You pop up after months of-_

_I'm sorry. You're doing brilliantly, you know._

_Thanks, _I replied grudgingly. _It happens to be one of my talents, killing things. Like my relationship… or whatever it was… with Fang._

_Fang loves you, you know he does, _was the tired reply.

_He sure as heck isn't showing it, _I thought. In a flash, I remembered all of those stolen, heated moments I had shared with him.

The Voice cleared his throat.

_Sorry, _I thought. _Did you… um, did you…_

_Yes. I did._

_Sorry, _I said again, but, just then, the Voice cut in, urgent. Why? Because this is my life, that's why.

_Maximum, open your eyes. Right now._

Showtime, folks. I sprang into battle stance.

My eyes flew open, and there in front of me, wrestling with three Erasers from all sides, was Fang, almost unrecognizable in blood-red, rather than traditional black. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a fourth Eraser speeding towards him from underneath, coming from out of nowhere. I shouted for him to watch out, but he didn't hear me. I started to fly, my wings aching, but the Eraser was too close. It's jaws gaped open around his foot; I couldn't watch this. Then, all of a sudden, the mutant who I had never seen before, who had freed Angel and Anastasia, shot towards it, barreling into it and sending it spiraling towards the ground with a single brutal blow.

I felt myself freeze. I had never seen anything like that before. He glanced upwards, yanking down one of the Erasers by its ankle and hurling it across the room. Fang worked on another, knocking its head so hard that a spiderweb of blood bloomed there. When he wheeled around, he found himself face to face with the mutant. Unaware, he drew his fist back. I urged myself faster, and nearly collided with him, pinning his arms behind his back.

"Don't - hit - him," I said, breathing heavily.

He stared at me, dumbfounded. "Max?"

"Hey," I said. "Thank God you're still…"

"Yeah," he said quickly. "I am." Of course he knew what I meant.

The mutant was watching us quietly, and I looked back at him. He was tall, with a ripple of muscles visible under a half-shredded shirt. His hair was disheveled and damp with streaks of blood, his eyes grey. From his back, like ours, sprouted powerful, dark brown and black wings, though his were bat-like at the edges, fading into something that looked eagle-ish, and there were four black stripes on his face, like that of a tiger.

_Who is he? _This last thought I voiced aloud.

"My name's Fitz," he replied, shouting above the noise around us. "Anastasia asked me to help you."

"But how're you…?" So strong, I wanted to say.

He shot me a pained look. "I'm sorry, but can we talk later? I want to get this over with."

_If we're still alive, _I thought darkly.

"Sure," I said. "Later."

He turned away, speeding towards a flock of more Erasers. I looked down at Fang, released his arms. He glared.

"Thanks for that," he said, before kissing me ardently, as if it were only the two of us in this room.

_I'll leave for a sec, shall I?_

I smiled against Fang's lips. _Thanks, Voice._

_But I WAS right about him loving you._

_Bye, bye, birdie._

And, for an instant, I could sink into Fang, only Fang, feeling his arms pull me closer as my brain went into overdrive. I could put death aside for a split second. But, like I said, only for a split second.

Erasers grabbed us, tearing me away from him, some holding me in place as others advanced, landing blows that made me keel over. As I threw my gaze up, searching for him, I saw his own eyes slip shut, saw him dropping, headfirst, to the ground. I managed to shout an insult that made the Voice tut loudly in my head, before an Eraser swooped in front of me, blocking my sight, and slammed a punch into my jaw.

The Voice stopped tutting. _Maximum, you need to get away. You need to help Fang._

_Voice, what do I do?_

_Just keep fighting back. You can do it._

I struggled blindly, trying to get to Fang, but they held me firm as the life continued to drain out of me.

_Any other options? _I thought desperately, but the Voice was gone.

That's how it was. When it all came down to it - whatever _it _was - it was always just me, Maximum Ride, and the big, bad world.

This time, I wasn't so sure if Maximum Ride would kill the big, bad world and get away with the flock to live a nice life, maybe even settle down on a nice beach eating coconuts and playing with dolphins and all that other corny paradise stuff that Fang had suggested we should do, ages ago.

It sounded better by the second.

But I'd have to get rid of the big, bad world first.

And then we'd have the relatively big (we're claustrophobic, remember?), good world without any more 'let's-try-to-kill-and-experiment-on-things-that-breathe-like-oh-maybe-those-kids-(who aren't even really kids anymore)-with-wings' stupid scientists with their stupid white coats and their stupid white corridors and white everything else.

I cracked my knuckles, preparing to break free of all the Erasers holding me down and take them apart, bit by bit, doing just what I love to do.

_Look out big, bad world, _I thought, with a grim smile. _Here comes big, bad Maximum Ride._

Nudge POV

I weaved through the Erasers, all intent on killing me, trying to look for the flock. Suddenly, catching sight of Max, I stopped short. There were about ten Erasers on her, but she was fighting back shouting something that sounded like: "I'm big and I'm bad, I'm Maximum Ride!" I shook my head. No. Max would never say anything like that _aloud, _let alone shout it.

Her eyes met mine, and they widened. _Get out of here, _she mouthed. Mouthing _no way_, I flew towards her, shooting my hand out and using magnetism to wrench a sheet of metal from the ceiling and hurl it towards the Erasers. As it collided with them, their grip on Max slackened, and she shot towards me. Without wasting a moment, I yanked the pin from the grenade in my hand with my teeth, the other one having been used to blow up the entrance into this place, and threw it at them. Max grabbed my hand; we got away just as the grenade exploded.

"Nudge," she said. "What are you…?"

"We were worried," I replied. "About you and Total and Gazzy and Fang-"

She inhaled sharply. "Fang. I have to get to him."

We flew lower, circling the area where he had fallen, but… no luck. We couldn't see him anywhere.

"Are you sure…?" I began, then fell silent at the look she was giving me.

She landed; I followed suit. "He fell right around here. Nudge, what if-"

"He's fine," I said hurriedly, even though I knew she wouldn't believe me.

Max closed her eyes, and I knew she was trying to mentally connect to Fang.

But she was no Angel (or Anastasia). She clenched her fists, punching a dead Eraser in the head so hard that it flew upwards, crashing into another one - an _alive _one. The alive Eraser yelped, then sped towards us, throwing the dead Eraser's body out of the way. Max, in her fury, punched its lights out, pummeling it into a bloody pulp. When she was done, she smacked her hands together. I stood, anxiously watching.

"Well," she snapped. "Now I feel a _bit _better. Now you stay here and keep looking, I'll fly around and look from higher above."

As she spiraled away, I rolled up my sleeves. Cute mommy Nudge was gone. Evil, Eraser-butt-kicking, Fang-finding, ferocious Nudge was here.


	48. Black

**Black**

**Angel POV**

_Pain, _I thought, staring into the Superior's eyes. _Excruciating pain._

She screamed, cradling her head. My pain was worse. The gash on the side of my face was still bleeding, making me feel dizzy, and my destroyed wings were on fire. And, for my mind to work as a weapon, since my bleeding body was now too weak to, I had to open it up to the pain surrounding me. I had to suffer her pain, her _excruciating _pain, which I was making her feel. I had to suffer everyone else's pain out there, in that room, although now it was more muted than it had been before.

_"Dayum," _the Gasman would say, if this were some sort of movie. "Oh, man. That's so - what's the word?"

Total would look at him, rolling his eyes, and say, "Ironic?"

"Yup," he would grin. "That's the one… Wait - what does that mean?"

"You flock are hopeless," Total would reply, sighing dramatically. "Your grammar and your vocabularyare so beyond shameful that even _I, _Total, am embarrassed for you."

Iggy would snort, "You, Total? Wow, what an insult."

"Yes," Total would say defensively. "Me, Total. Iggy, it's so easy to gang up against me, isn't it? Just because I'm looking out for you, my friends, I should get penalised… frankly, it's tragic. If we were in France, or even better, _Paris, _people would admire all of my poetic judgement. But _you. _It's easy for you, because you have no sense of manner or esteem… you, flock, are a disgrace on everything I hold most valuable._"_

The Gasman would crack up. "Dude. Poetic… _judgement?"_

"I know why you judge me," Total would say gravely. "It's because I'm black, isn't it?"

"Nope," Iggy would reply. "It's 'cause you say things like 'penalised' and... and 'poetic judgement'..."

Fang would smile silently, amused, Iggy and the Gasman would chortle, Nudge would start blabbering on about the characters - especially the guy - in the movie, and Total would sniff, trying to think up a comeback. Max would tell everyone to "Shut the heck up so I can watch this movie", while she would actually only be doing it to stop Total from launching into another huge speech about why he was so unappreciated… blah… blah… blah.

I blinked, bringing myself back into the present, and, with great effort, I closed my mind. The Superior drew in a rattling breath.

_"You…" _she hissed. "I'm not telling you a single thing. You're going to die."

"No," I spat. "_You _are."

My mind flared open, I thought _pain, _and she was shaking and screaming for the fourth or fifth time.

By now I was panting, sobbing, my eyes slipping shut again and again, my wounds blazing, my mind exploding in agony. This was killing me, bit by bit. I collapsed.

I closed my mind; the Superior glared down at me, there was a flicker of fear.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. "It's killing _you. _You're dying."

She kicked my stomach, snickered.

"Look at you," she sneered. "You're pathetic."

"I'm doing this," I said, though my voice was barely a whisper, "So I can kill you, because I hate you so much."

"You'll die trying," she said.

"Tell me," I demanded. "Tell me how to kill you. All this pain will go away if you die."

She crouched, looking down at me, mouthed no, and I unleashed the pain on her again, shuddering. At that moment, a small, jet-black dog hurtled towards me, into my arms. I snapped my mind shut, unable to believe that Total was here, witnessing this.

"Angel," he choked out. "You're…"

"Total," I said. "Leave. Now."

"Listen to the dying mutant, mongrel," said the Superior. "She might try to kill you, too."

He launched himself at her, sinking his teeth into the flesh of her leg. She shrieked, trying to shake him off, but he hung on, biting deeper.

"Tell me," I hissed, despite the fact that I knew that above her screams, she could not hear me.

_Total, _I thought. _Total, get off. Go away._

He shook free, stared at me. I tore my gaze away.

_Go away, _I thought.

He hesitated, then scampered.

I could hardly believe it. Even though I had told him to, _I_ would never have left anyone… did that make me vain, selfish, to have wanted him to stay?

"Angel," said the Superior, bringing me back into the present. "Even the _dog _deserted you. Everything you love is disappearing. The members of your silly Flock out there are dying, one by one, because of your inability to obey. We were prepared to let them live free, but now they're dying, just like you."

"I'm not going anywhere," I said, forcing the image of Total's retreating image out of my mind. "Not until you're finished."

* * *

**Total POV**

_She must think that I've abandoned her, _I thought, hating myself. _But I'm no help there. I need someone who will help, someone like..._

I stopped in my tracks, hovering, as, before me, the strange, unknown mutant battled a hoard of Erasers on his own.

_Someone like that, _I finished.

He was _way _bigger than me, _way _stronger, and would probably be able to kill me with a stack of post-its. I gulped. If _that _thing attacked me, I would probably be alive for the same amount of time it took the Gasman to blow up a football field… in other words, not very long. I'm talking seconds, folks.

Determined, I streaked towards him, weaving through the bodies of Erasers, dead and alive. The Erasers around him fell like flies, and I felt a wave of uneasiness. Would he snuff me out, too, before I had time to explain? _Akila, _I thought, my own goddess. _I love you. Please, please don't let him kill me. I need to get Angel help._

He turned his head, looked straight at me. Then he shot towards me, stopping inches away, and grabbed me in his iron grip.

"Please don't kill me," I shouted quickly, my whole body flinching away.

"Give me one good reason," he snarled, "Why I shouldn't kill you. You're just wasting my time."

"I'm one of the Flock," I said hurriedly. "And you - you seem to be on our side. Angel's dying. I need you to help her. _Please."_

"Angel?" he questioned.

I blinked. I was still alive.

"She's a member of the Flock," I explained. "She's Gazzy and Anastasia's sister, and she's dying…"

At the mention of Anastasia, he froze.

"Anastasia's sister?" he said. "Angel?"

"Yes," I said. "Please - you have to hurry."

"Where is she?" he asked, impatient.

I couldn't believe my luck. Not only was I alive, but this mutant would kill the Superior and save Angel. _Thank you a billion gazillion times, Akila._

"She's through that door and down the corridor," I said.

He scooped me into his arm, holding me in the crook of his elbow, and bolted towards the door, arching to avoid it, curving down the corridor, which was a blur around me.

"Let out your wings," he said, looking down at me, yet still flying fast as ever.

I did so, and he stopped for an instant to let me go. I hovered, watching him speed away, then followed him.

* * *

**Angel POV**

The Superior was right. I _was _pathetic. And I _was _dying.

I had a quick vision of my body being found in this room, Max bending over my white corpse with shaking hands, Fang putting one hand on her shoulder and staring down at my unblinking eyes. The Gasman was sitting on the head of a dead Eraser, his jaw clenched, fighting back tears. And Anastasia, she was standing next to Fitz Grey, solemn, reaching down to touch my cold cheek.

Total was howling, "First Akila, and now _Angel? _Max, can we please, _please _stop saving the world? Look what it does to people. The world can shove it's need for saving up it's-"

"Angel," said the Superior, interrupting my somewhat depressing thoughts with three even more depressing words. "You _will _die."

"So does everyone, eventually," I snapped.

"Is that all you can do?" she snorted. "Make witty comebacks? Is that your only talent... and a bad one at that?"

I ignored her.

"Just tell me," I grunted. "Please."

She was weak, too, but managed a snigger.

"Begging now, are we?" she asked. "Angel, I always thought you were at least above _that."_

"Tell me," I said.

I closed my eyes, willing everything just to go away, especially the pain of Total's abandonment, which hurt just as much as everything else.

"You really think I'm just going to tell you how to kill me?" she snorted. "Well, at least I always knew you were stupid."

It was the sound of her screaming that made me open my eyes. The sight before me was something I dared believe was true, but it was happening. Fitz was here, he had come, and he was killing her.

My heart sunk. _He was killing her._

With the last ounce of energy I had, I shouted, "Stop!"

He stiffened, turned around, clutching the Superior's limp - yet still alive - form by the front of her once-white shirt. "Angel?"

I was taken aback. He knew who I was.

"Yes," I said.

"Why should I?" he said dryly. "She's killing _you."_

"No," I said. "_I'm _killing myself by torturing her. It's complicated, but I'm just asking one thing - please don't kill her. I need her alive."

He gaped. "You're joking. _Why?"_

"I need to know how to kill her _properly, _since she's 'pretty much' immortal," I said. "So please."

He looked away from me, then, with an uppercut, one of my own favorites, sent her flying across the room, where she lay still. I felt her die in another sharp burst of pain, causing me to cry out. He hurried over to me, holding me up.

"What just happened?" he asked. "Are you - _Hey! _What's going on?"

_No, _I thought. _No way. No freaking way. I hate Fitz Grey. I FREAKING..._

I stared up at him, incredulous about what he had just done after everything I had gone through, then my eyes rolled back into my head and everything was blissfully black.


	49. Siblings

**Siblings**

**Angel POV**

I woke up to something trickling down my face, hands supporting me, a heavy weight crushing on my skull. Voices swirled around me, and, as I opened my eyes, faces were a blur. Words were lost in the chaos of my thoughts, and I struggled to keep my eyes open, my conscience from slipping away again. I failed. What seemed like seconds - or was it years - later, I surfaced again, this time with more strength. The faces were still a blur, but the words I strung together somehow. _Lost a heck of a lot of blood… blood… blood… _There was blood everywhere, it seemed. All I remembered was blood, and remembering hurt. The next time was better, this time the faces - or rather, just one face - swam into focus.

"Angel."

It was Total. My face broke out into a smile. The stretching of my skin, however, made me wince as a sharp pain shot down my spine.

"You… came… back..." I breathed.

"I only ever left to get help," he explained. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't... worry," I said. "It's cool."

"Are you feeling better?" he asked. "The mutant said you might not make it, but…" His voice broke. "Well, anyway, he went back into that room to 'finish things', apparently. He still hasn't come back."

Everything came rushing back.

"He killed... the Superior," I said, my voice getting stronger as I spoke. "Total… it was all for freaking _nothing."_

"I'm so sorry," he repeated sincerely.

I asked one question that I had been dying to ask. "How long's it been, since…?"

"Hours," he said. "I think so, anyway."

"Have you heard from... the rest of the Flock?" I asked, meaning _is anyone dead?_

"I've stayed with you; I don't know," he said. "Angel, you've no idea how glad I am that you're alive."

I thought about my vision again, shuddered. "Yeah, me too."

Total grinned. "You look a bit gross, though."

My nose wrinkled as he held up a mirror. I had no idea how he had even _gotten _one, but then, we all have our secrets, and I always knew Total was one for appearances. "Ew."

I was bruised and bloody, sure, but I'd been b-and-b too many times before to count. What really got me down were the dark shadows under my bloodshot eyes and the droopiness of my eyelids - from huge psychological exhaustion. The grossness of my face reminded me of The Superior. I'm sure you can guess why.

"I need to kill her," I said bitterly, looking away. "But that idiot Grey ruined everything."

"That's his name?" he asked.

I nodded, a simple movement which nearly made me black out again.

Total leapt to my side, his expression terrified. I forced the tiniest of smiles to reassure him.

"Total," I said, some minutes later. "I need to get up. I can't just lie here."

"If you get up," he said angrily, "You'll die. Stay here."

"No," I countered.

I felt like I was turning into Max. It's common knowledge that you become your own mother. And, even though I know Max isn't my own mother, per se, she's as close as. So it counts.

But then... why didn't I have my Fang?

"Angel, please?" Total asked.

I nodded, unaware of what he had been saying. I was spacing out more and more often now. And I couldn't believe I'd been thinking about romance - _romance - _in a time like this. A time all about mortal peril, blood and guts, blah blah blah, you know the story.

"Stay," Total repeated. "At least for a couple more hours."

"D'you know what can happen in that time?" I demanded, determined to stop spacing out from now on. "Any one of the Flock could _die."_

The silence that flickered between us was a silence like none other. He was furious at me, I at him.

"I can't just let them die, Total," I eventually said.

He nodded slowly. "Just like I can't let _you _just die."

**Anastasia POV**

I blinked, breathing heavily. Around me was nothing but destruction. Hundreds of Eraser carcasses and dead whitecoats were sprawled across the ground, and the blood… the blood was everywhere I looked. Seconds earlier, the room had shook with a huge explosion, and I'd been lucky enough to have been behind an Eraser that I had been strangling. My wingtips and hair were black and my eardrums were ringing, but aside from that, I felt okay. I looked down at the Eraser that I had strangled, who had gotten the worse deal of the two of us, being fried to a crisp. I breathed out slowly. I had to find the Flock… if any of them were still alive. I flew lower, just in case any of them were down on the ground.

At that moment, there is a noise as someone opened the door. I flew towards the door, charging into whatever it was. Instants later, I was pinned to the ground, my eyes squeezed tight shut, struggling in the Eraser's grip.

"Anna," said a laughing voice. "Nice try."

I slowly opened one eye. _"Fitz?"_

"Thank God you're alive," he said. "Look - I found this guy. He looks like one of you, so…"

He rolled over, and I stood up, staring in the hugest relief at the Gasman, whose expression seemed to match mine. I ran towards him, although the distance was hardly a meter, and I hugged him, hard, wincing as his fingers grazed an area which was particularly painful, where an Eraser had got its teeth into my arm for a brief moment, before I had kicked it to kingdom come.

When we pulled apart, I said, "Fitz, this is the Gasman, my brother."

He looked uneasy. "The… _Gasman?"_

I even laughed a little, despite the situation, I was so glad that he was alive. "He's talented in that … certain field."

_"Oh." _Fitz backed away slightly.

"Were you in here when the bomb went off?" the Gasman said, his eyes widening.

"Uh… yeah," I said, pointing to my singed hair. "Duh."

"And you _lived?" _He was in disbelief. Glad to see I amused him.

"Sorry?" I said. "I thought that might be a _good _thing, but..."

"No, no, it _is," _he said quickly. "Crap. That means I must've thrown the wrong bomb in there, the weaker one. Which means…" He glanced backwards uneasily. _"Get down now!"_

We threw ourselves to the ground just in time. The floor shook and the lights above flickered as there was a massive, deafening _BOOM. _I felt myself skid on the surface of the floor, pushed backwards from the force of the Gasman's _other _bomb. I sure as heck wouldn't have survived if he'd thrown the right bomb into the room I was in, with or without Eraser coverage.

Well. This was just my lucky day.

"What… was… that?" Fitz finally said, when the last light had stopped flickering.

The Gasman smiled broadly. "I found a group of about twenty Erasers, made them follow me with the Superior's voice, locked them up in a room with a ticking bomb… then KABOOM!"

"Ka… _boom?" _echoed Fitz.

He nodded seriously. "Kaboom, baby."

"Well," I said, getting up. "I'm glad you made a mistake and switched bombs, because otherwise, yours featherly would be a pile of dead stuff right now."

"Anastasia," said the Gasman in a different tone. Maybe it was the word 'dead' that brought him back to reality. "We need to find everyone."

My smile vanished. "You're right. D'you want to split up, or…?"

"No," he said, as if he were challenging me to disagree. "We're staying together, just in case."

I nodded. "Let's go."

The Gasman and I headed in one direction, when Fitz spoke up, gesturing towards another door. "I know where two of them are. Well, one and a… dog."

"Total?" exhaled the Gasman in relief. "Maybe he… maybe he found Angel."

We instantly headed towards him, following him as he broke into a jog in a long, white corridor - not unlike many others in this place - and, when we rounded a corner, there lay Angel, bloodied, with her wings in tatters, beside Total, whose ears had pricked up, and who growled fiercely at us before recognizing us.

"Gazzy, Anastasia!" he burst out. "I thought you were… Oh, God. It's so good you're here and alive! Thank you, Akila. _Thank you, thank you, thank you, _the most incredible, beautiful, stunning _love of my life._"

As glad as we were to see the two of them, the Gasman and I stared, horrified, at Angel, as she moved her head to face us and visibly winced. Total rushed back to her, along with Fitz.

"I told you," Fitz scolded. "I told you not to move. Angel, are you okay? Angel?"

I was floored, the Gasman even more so.

"Hey," he snapped, hurrying to Angel's side. "Don't talk to my sister like that - like you _know _her."

"With all due respect," Fitz retorted, "I'm trying to keep her alive."

"I'm fine," said Angel.

Everyone - including her - knew it was a lie. _Just _a little bit.

_Angel, _I thought. _Angel, what happened?_

_Nothing, _she thought. _I'm fine, like I said._

_Shut up, _I countered. _You're not fine. I'm going to see-_

_NO!_

I flinched, and, before she could stop me, I dove into her memories. The pain crashed over and into me, huge, terrifying, overwhelming, and I screamed, dropping to my knees, my hands clutching at my hair as I withdrew sharply.

"Anastasia!" said the Gasman, worried. "What's wrong?"

_What was that? _I asked Angel, ignoring him. _This is terrible._

_I told you not to, _she snapped. _But… didn't you feel it, too, the pain?_

_I felt some pain when I first used my mind, _I agreed. _But nothing compared to that. And, besides, after that, I stopped using my mind to kill. Angel, what the hell were you doing?_

_Tell Grey that I hate him, _she answered. _It hurts to speak right now, so could you just do that for me?_

"Fitz," I said out loud. "Angel hates you, I don't know why."

He knew I could read minds, this was nothing new.

_Tell him I really, really, really hate him._

I did, adding five extra 'really's.

"No," replied Fitz, turning to Angel. "I _helped _you."

"You didn't help her at all," I said, translating Angel's thoughts.

"Angel, listen," he said, frustrated. "You were killing yourself-"

The Gasman stiffened. _"_Angel, what were you _thinking?"_

"She says it was to kill the Superior," I said, although inside, I was firing comments similar to the Gasman's at Angel.

"I know how she comes back to life," Fitz said. "Okay? I know. So you were wasting your time - and your life - with her."

Angel was silent. Then finally she spoke, glaring up at him.

"You should have freaking told me before."

* * *

**_So... who's angry with Fitz/really really angry with Fitz/incredibly furious with Fitz. Heck, whatever you think, please review!!!_**

**_Love you guys._**


	50. How To Kill The Superior

**_(Sorry about the rubbish title, but couldn't think of a better one. Also, underlining isn't working for me right now, so said title isn't being underlined. Sucks, right?)_**

**How To Kill The Superior**

**Max POV**

Nudge and I had followed a group of Erasers who had fled the room outside, where the sky was beginning to get darker - black, just like the colour of Fang's hair, Fang's eyes, Fang's clothes… Fang… Fang… Fang...

God. Was I in deep.

I suddenly remembered that I didn't know where Fang was, that the last time I had seen him, he was unconscious, falling to the ground… and now… _No. _Fang wasn't dead. Fang _could not _be dead. He was just someone who didn't suit the afterlife, end of. He. Was. An. Alive. Person. He would stay alive, keep kissing me just like he had done before the Erasers had gotten to us. If he kept kissing me like that, I swore to myself I would never shout at _anyone _again, and that we could do as he said and go and live on one of those beaches, kick back, relax.

But all those dreams vanished in a moment. I was a leader now. I had to find everyone, make sure everyone was alive.

_Voice, _I thought. _You know everything, right? VOICE! Hey, answer me, okay?_

_Maximum, I'm right here._

_You better be, _I half growled. _I need you to help me find everyone._

_Only you can do that. _

_This is really not the time to be cryptic._

_I'm not being cryptic, Maximum._

_Or to argue with me, _I continued. _Please, Voice. Help me find them._

_Maximum, to be a true leader, you must use your own strengths. I am certain that you can do it._

_If you leave, I'm gonna… Voice? Hey, VOICE!_

But it was just me in my mind. I let out a string of colorful swearwords, and Nudge cleared her throat.

"Sorry," I said. "I'm just frustrated."

She nodded. "I know the feeling. It's kind of that weird, I-can't-stand-this-anymore feeling that makes you-"

"That's the one," I interrupted. "Nudge, I want you to go back to Iggy."

"What? No," she said. "No way, José. I'm staying with you. We've got to start looking for everyone."

"Nudge," I said, in a don't mess with me sort of way.

"You can't _make _me go," she snapped. "I'm not a kid anymore, Max Heck, I've got a kid myself. If any one of us is the _kid, _Max, I'd say it was, oh, maybe the person who _didn't _go around for months with a huge belly and _didn't _squeeze out a living thing out of her-"

I sighed, zoning out. I was fighting a losing battle, and hated it.

"We know that some of the Erasers and whitecoats escaped, though, so we've got to be careful," I said at last.

"Got it," she said, smiling broadly. "Sure."

**Angel POV**

"Tell… me…" I snarled, furious at him for not telling me before.

"I won't go through the whole process of _how _she did it," he began.

"Just _say _it," I cut in, impatient.

"Fine, fine," he said. "Right. Well, about twenty years ago, the Superior had this obsession to become immortal, or as close as. And so she extracted her own DNA in order to clone it, and grew about two hundred clones. The Superior's mind, memories, everything, really, are wired into a database… her brain is a machine, in essence, that feeds information into this database and when a body dies, everything is instantly downloaded into a new body, meaning that no help is necessary in this process. This means that, even if the Superior dies and no one knows about it, she is automatically reborn into a new body. With new technology, it now takes about an hour and a half to fully prepare one of these new bodies."

I froze. "Clones?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Do you…" Then something hit me. "How long ago was it… that you killed the Superior?"

"About three hours," he said. "Give or take twenty minutes or so."

"So she's probably using a new body now," Total concluded. "Right?"

Another nod.

Anastasia frowned. "So to kill her, we have to kill this database and all these clones?"

"Yeah," he said. "That's about right."

I wanted to scream in frustration. But, you know, I'm a lady and all, so of course I didn't. Plus I was still hurting.

I did a few calculations in my head, according to how badly I was injured. It would take me about three days to fully heal, be back to my normal, incredible self. Yes, I'm modest.

"I'll be ready in a couple of minutes," I said out loud. "Just give me two, and then we can go kill some clones. Does anyone know where she keeps the clones?"

I was looking at Anastasia and Fitz. Anastasia shrugged.

"I do," said Fitz. "But I don't know how to get in."

"Isn't there a _door?" _I thought this was, um, _blindingly _obvious.

He glared, offended. "Yes. But we can't get through with brute strength. There are three doors, made of some of the hardest substances known to man. _And_ we need a password and an eye-scan. I have no idea what the password is."

"That's all great," said the Gasman. "But, Angel, get real. You're not going to be any better in two minutes. At the very least, you need an hour."

I stared at him. "You. Have. Got. To. Be. Joking."

"Nope." He smiled, hugely unhelpful.

"I've got an idea," said Anastasia, perking up. "Angel, why don't you stay here with Total, and we'll go find the rest of the flock. Then we'll come back, and do what I've been dying to do for _ages."_

"Kill me?" asked the Gasman, in a perfect imitation of the Superior. It made Fitz flinch, looking around. "Because I _suck, _and I also look like a man._"_

Fitz fought a grin. "Very funny."

"I am, thanks," said the Gasman seriously, then switched to a German accent. "I vant you to all bow down to me, because I am ze _Gasman!"_

Anastasia smiled. "It's hard to believe you're eighteen."

The Gasman grinned, switching to Peter Pan. "I'm never going to grow up! I don't want to be a grown-up _ever_! Kids rule!"

"Quoting from the Fangster's blong, now, are we?" I chuckled.

Fang. The Flock. It hit us all at once, and our smiles vanished.

Fitz spoke up, commenting on Anastasia's plan. "The dog should go look for the flock with you guys, though, because I'm pretty sure he can't _physically _stop Angel, even when she's in this state. Also, it's weird, since I don't know anyone… I'll stay here with Angel."

Total looked wounded. "Firstly, I am _not _'the dog'. My name is _Total. _I understand what you are saying, and it's very, very insulting. You might have manners just as bad as the flock, but even _they _know that it's rude to call someone 'the dog'. Would _you _like it if I called you the 'mutant'? Huh? Yeah, you wouldn't. So there. And, secondly, I'm not weak.I would like to let you know that I have recently been working out, and it's beginning to show. I have _shoulder muscles, _dude. So I could easily stop Angel if she wanted to do something stupid, which is, of course, extremely likely. Why don't you think before you speak next time? God," he sighed. "Mutants."

Fitz looked like he was about to point out that Total was a mutant too, but Anastasia elbowed him before he could say anything.

"Total," she said kindly. "You're not 'the dog', and you're not weak at all, but Fitz is right about the second thing. It _would _be weird. So he can stay here with Angel, and you can come with us."

"Fine," Total sniffed, mumbling complaints as he left with Anastasia and the Gasman.

I scowled. No one had asked for my opinion, and, even though I had been super-attracted to Fitz before he had killed the Superior - I blushed furiously, remembering the way I had said "I love you" in his voice - I had told him that I hated him via Anastasia. And knowing that all that pain was all for nothing _really _got on my nerves. But I was beginning to realize that it was not his fault. I mean, it wasn't like I had _asked _him if he knew how to kill her, before running after her and Subject Twenty-Seven. I'd just gone off and done my own thing. But… I couldn't just take it all back now. That would, first, leave a huge mark on my ego, and second, would just be terrifying to carry out. I hated admitting things. Confessions made me twitchy, just like tight spaces made Max twitchy. We all had our twitches, and this was mine.

Fitz lay down next to me. All at once, the smell of him made me start. I turned my head to look at him, taking him in. His disheveled hair was brown under the streaks of blood, darker than Nudge's, but much, much lighter than Fang's, and I could just see the outline of his wings underneath him - even though us flock never slept with our wings under us because it was too uncomfortable, it didn't seem to bother him. They were bat-like, eagle-like, a mixture of the two, black fading into brown. He turned, too, and our eyes locked. I swallowed, feeling all trembly, my heart beating so hard and fast I thought it would crash out of my chest.

I had never, ever, _ever _felt like this.

* * *

_**So there you go: CLONES. That's how to kill the most evil woman that has ever existed (expect maybe my mum).**_

_**Mum, if you're reading this, that was a joke.**_

_**Very funny, I know.**_

_**PLUS, readers, we got a teensy bit of almost romance coming up soon between... certain people. GUESS WHO?**_

_**Reviews? Do I deserve any? Xx**_


	51. His Heart

**His Heart**

**Angel POV**

"Sorry I didn't say anything sooner about knowing how the Superior's… you know," he said, his voice low, making my breath catch in my chest. "I just-"

"Didn't know," I finished. My own voice sounded nothing like it usually did. I swallowed again. "I'm sorry I said I hated you."

"Really, really, really hated me," he corrected.

I smiled. "With about ten more 'really's."

He grinned, too. I felt my heart do little ballerina jumps and pirouettes, just like I used to love to do. I felt a strange urge to leap up and start pirouetting away _right now, _only it would be a bit weird. So instead, I cleared my throat. Which obviously sounded incredibly attractive.

I racked my brains for ideas on how to flirt - could you _believe _this? - and remembered fragments of information I had read in magazines, things I had heard from Nudge in passing. _Ooh. _Apparently compliments were a winner. I just had to praise something… and I was in. Meanwhile, I tried not to think about how pathetic I was.

"I.." I said. "I, um, thought you were great back there, killing the Superior. Well, at the time, I hated you for killing her, but you did it really well. You were… good."

Great. Now I was complimenting him on his ability to kill people, and saying that I had hated him because of it. _Really _great. What was I going to say next? Fitz, I _lurrrrrrve _you. No. Anything but that.

I suddenly noticed how strong his jaw looked, lined with a shadow of stubble. A million more pirouettes began.

"Er, thanks," he said.

Notice the '_er'? _He thought I was a freak. Like everyone else. My life = O:-(

"You know," he said. I nodded, enraptured, expecting something that would make my heart race… _again. _I wasn't expecting anything _close _to what actually came out of his mouth, which was: "You look a heck of a lot like Anna."

It took me a second to figure out who 'Anna' was. Then I realized. And my heart didn't race.

He was in love with Anastasia. _Anastasia! _Which meant that, according to all those magazines, he was probably off-bounds. She said herself that _she _was never in love with him, because she was too in love with Subject Twenty-Seven, but that didn't stop _him _from being able to love her.

I thought about going through his mind. It was easy, and I'd get all the info I needed and wanted _so _bad that I felt like killing someone. I listened out for an Eraser, just in case. But I needed to respect his privacy.

Right. So I had easy info that would stop me from feeling like murdering someone against privacy. Guess which one won?

Feeling ridiculously guilty, I dove into his mind, looking for anything related to Anastasia. I selected a memory at random and went right in.

* * *

_I'm in a small room, and I instantly recognize his old office, before his promotion. Anastasia, who looks about fourteen, is spinning on a chair, smiling coyly at me, Fitz, sitting at my desk. I look over at her and feel myself grin._

_"So," says Anastasia. "How're things?"_

_My face falls. "Not great. Since Wally and Peter left, it's been hard work, y'know? Us three were working on the new software, but now it's just me."_

_"Wally?" she asks, cocking her head. Anastasia puts her feet up on the desk, opposite me. I'd forgotten how infuriating she used to be. "Wasn't he the one who stapled someone's head for kicks? Wait. Let me guess. Peter's head?"_

_I feel myself, in Fitz's body, nod. "Yup."_

_"Oh," she says. "OH."_

_"What?" I look up at her, and my cheeks feel a little hot. "Tell me, Anna."_

_

* * *

_

Pet names, too. I - as in, I, Angel - was about to throw up.

* * *

_"Nothing," she says teasingly._

_

* * *

_

Okay. This is just unfair leading on. And - wait a sec - she's only fourteen years old, give or take, even though for a human, she looks three years older. Fitz is what, seventeen, eighteen? That's just disgusting.

Maybe.

* * *

_"Tell me," I say. "Please? Come on."_

_"Hmm," she says. "Sorry. I've forgotten."_

_I feel myself get up out of my seat and run towards her, laughing. I grab her seat, spin it around. She's in hysterics, too. Both of us are. I'm spinning her round and round and round… she reaches up and pushes me away. I stumble, grin. She sits there, the chair spinning slower now, laughing her freaking head off._

_"Okay, okay," she says, laughing. "I'll tell you."_

_I grin. "I knew I'd get you to tell me. So? Where are they?"_

_She shrugs. "Eraser chow."_

_"Are you - WHAT?" I'm angry, now. "They've been killed? For what?"_

_"For not working," she replies. "Come on, Fitz. They were stapling each other's heads. How much more obvious can you get?"_

_"Anna," I say quietly, still fuming. "Sometimes I just don't understand you at all. And other times..."_

_"What?" she asks._

_I look away. "Nothing..."_

_

* * *

_

I drew away from the memory, reeling. It was obvious he liked her, what with all the blushing, and the trailing off at the end. They practically seemed like a couple, and Anastasia was flirting her head off. What happened to being too in love with Subject Twenty-Seven? Apparently _not. Okay, I love her now and all, but I hate her old self. She was a right cow back then._

I selected another memory, this time a more recent one than before.

* * *

_We're both standing, shoulders squared, glaring at each other. The tension in the room is WAY palpable. Yes. I know a word like palpable. It means touchable, like you could almost touch the tension in the room, it was so high. Go me._

_Anyway._

_"What's the deal with him, anyway?" I demand. "Subject whatever."_

_"His name," snaps Anastasia, "Is Subject Twenty-Seven."_

_"So?" I snort. "Like I care."_

_

* * *

_

Oh. My. Freaking. God. They were arguing about Subject Twenty-Seven. My spirits dropped even further. He was so into her, I didn't stand a chance.

_

* * *

_

_"The deal is that I'm in love with him," she snarls._

_"You - you WHAT?" I thunder. "Anna, you're fifteen!"_

_"I'm sixteen in two months," she says. "And so what? Juliet was thirteen when she fell in love with Romeo."_

_"This - isn't - Shakespeare," I growl. "And Subject what's-his-name is evil. He's… he's killed, Anna. You know that? In cold blood, as well."_

_"I love him," she says, close to tears. "And you can't do anything about that."_

_"You don't love him," I say through gritted teeth._

_Her glare is ice. "What gives you that impression?"_

_"You flirt with me all the time, for one!" I bellow. "I mean, what's that about?"_

_She flinches. "I do not."_

_"Do too," I say._

_"What, are you… into me, or something?" she asks, uneasy._

_"What, no," I say quickly. "No. I just don't want you with him. He's not just a jerk, he's evil. And he's… I know something about him."_

_"What?" she asks._

_"I know… he doesn't love you back," he says at last. "And he doesn't deserve a girl like you."_

_

* * *

_

I pulled away. I'd heard enough. It had taken me about five seconds to go through those two memories, and as I blinked back into reality, I realized he was staring back at me, as if waiting for an answer. Shoot. What was the question?

"Sorry?" I said.

"I said you looked a heck of a lot like Anna," he said, smiling.

I forced a smile. How could I have forgotten?

"Yeah," I said, looking away. "Well, we're 98% identical."

* * *

_**Sorry about the dividers -- hope it wasn't too confusing, and if it was, ask me and I'll just explain. For a while there my reviews stuck at six hundred and sixty six -- creepy?? I think so.**_

_**Hey. But don't get me wrong. I never thought I'd get anywhere close to this far, and I love you all for liking my story. Seriously, I do.**_

_**So anyway, thanks so much for always reviewing. You guys actually rock my world.**_


	52. Persuasion

**Persuasion**

**Anastasia POV**

I was striding through all the dead bodies around me, Total fluttering by my head and the Gasman begging me to stop walking and start flying.

"Come _on," _he was whining. "We have wings. Let's use them."

"I don't know about you," I snapped, "But I need to rest mine; they're exhausted and painful."

He sighed. "Fine, fine. We'll walk."

We had gone back into the room where Angel and I had been displayed in that cage, and we were now going through the mass of corpses, looking for any one of the flock. This one time, Gazzy had turned over a dead Eraser – to find out it actually _wasn't _dead, and he had to give it a few good punches to kill it. Total complained for a good half hour that the Eraser jumping out of the dead bodies, trying to kill us, had been the stuff of nightmares. The Gasman replied that it was the stuff of everyday flock life, making me a little uneasy.

I never knew two people that talked more than the two of them. Except for maybe Nudge. Right now, they were arguing pro-choice against pro-life. Don't ask me why.

Total was pro-life. "I mean, imagine if your parents thought, oh, I don't want the kid anymore, and aborted you. Then you _wouldn't exist."_

"Firstly," said the Gasman, "I was grown in a tube. Secondly, I definitely _wasn't _an accident, meaning that I probably wouldn't have been gotten rid of. Thirdly, my parents _didn't _want me, but the whitecoats did. And fourthly, if I didn't exist, I wouldn't know what I was missing."

Total exhaled in frustration. "Fine. Take a normal human baby."

"Ooh," said the Gasman. "I know _loads _of them."

"You're so funny," said Total sarcastically. "Anyway, don't you think it's like _murder? _You think we should let people just go around killing things?"

"I, uh, killed about a hundred things today," he said. "Maybe more, considering la _bombas_. Not to_ boas_tor anything."

Total made a face. "That's not what I meant!"

"Guys," I said. "Sorry to stop the fun and all that, but would you keep it down a bit? I'm going to see if I can find any of the flock's minds."

They immediately shut up. I listened carefully.

Total was thinking, _. The Gasman is so annoying. PRO-LIFE ALL THE WAY. I hope we find the flock. I really, really, really hope Max and Fang are going to make it official soon… when you're in love, you've got to love every day. Every day's important, you never know when your time together's going to end. I should know. I lost my Akila._

The Gasman was thinking, _Max and Fang… I wonder where they are. They're fine, I'd bet anyone a million bucks. They're Fax. Of course they're- Riiiiight. Crap. I need to do a Gasman…. now. Can I stop it? Okay, Gaz. Cool it. Standard procedure. Breathe in. Breathe out. Oh, God, there's no stopping this one! Breathe in. Brea-_

"Gazzy," I said quickly. "If you need to go, _leave. _Then come back when you're done."

The Gasman, his face purple, shot away, slamming the door. The ground shook. He came back in a few seconds later, looking satisfied.

_Done, _he thought.

"That was horrific," commented Total.

"Thanks, man," said the Gasman. "It's my pride and joy."

"Guys," I said.

They shut up. I listened hard, casting my mind as far as I could. That's when I heard it.

_I'm so getting one of those all-in-one 'I love my parents' baby suits for Tiger. Pink. Maybe with glitter. Definitely with fuzzy b- Oh my God! Tiger stripes! That would be so, unbelievably cute. Aw. Gosh, Max. Stop giving me that look. I know you want to find the - Oh my God. THE FLOCK! I hope they're okay. I hope they've killed all the Erasers - I hate this newest bunch, orange really isn't my colour. Look, I know you love Fang and all, but… it's been, what, ten, eleven years? Everyone KNOWS they're meant for each other. Everyone KNOWS they've done stuff together. I wish they'd just hurry up and do something about it!_

I smiled, then backtracked. Nudge? It was definitely her… but last time I checked, it had only been Max, Fang, the Gasman and Total here. Nudge… Did that mean _Iggy _was here too? And Tiger?

_Nudge, _I thought. _It's Anastasia._

_OHMYGOD! Hi, _she thought. _Are you okay? Are you hurt? Who else is with you?_

_Hi, _I thought. _Yes to the first, a couple of bruises and stuff, but nothing too bad to the second, and Gazzy and Total to the third. Angel's resting, but we know where she is. What about you? Is Iggy here too? And Tiger?_

_No, I made him stay with Tiger, _she thought. _I'm fine, and with Max. Wait one sec, I'm just going to tell her about you guys. _A pause. _She says - nope, sorry, she DEMANDS - for me to ask you if any of you are particularly badly hurt._

_Um, _I thought. I didn't know whether to tell them that Angel was pretty bad or not, because it would just end up with them worrying. But they'd find out eventually, anyway. _Angel's pretty badly bashed up._

_Oh no! _thought Nudge. _Poor her. Max says - wow. She says lots of things. Hang on, why don't you just talk to her, instead?_

_TTYL, _I thought.

_GTG, _she thought.

_Hi, Max, _I thought, finding her mind very close to Nudge's.

_Anastasia, _she thought. _Is Angel okay? What happened?_

_She was trying to torture the Superior, _I thought. _And it kind of affected her badly… psychologically. Physically, though, she's still pretty bad, with torn ligaments in one wing and a huge hole in the other. Plus she's got a huge gash down the side of her face._

_WHAT? _thundered Max. _And… is the Superior dead?_

_Kind of, _I thought.

_How can you be kind of dead? _she asked, frustrated.

I explained all about how her body had been killed, but she still had clones, and how we were planning to kill her once and for all.

_Where are you? _she thought. _Me and Nudge are coming. I want to help._

_So Fang's not with you guys? _I asked, after a moment's thought.

Silence. _I need to find him._

_I'm helping you, too, _I thought. _But come meet us first._

_Sure, _she thought. _Where are you?_

**Angel POV**

He liked her. Of course he liked her. Why hadn't I seen it before?

"Hello?" he said, bringing me crashing back down to reality. "Angel?"

"What?" I said, _slightly _more brutally than I should've done.

He frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope," I said, mock cheerfully. "Everything's fine and chipper. Peachy. Absolutely top notch."

He rolled his eyes. _"Really?"_

"No," I snapped. "Not really. Max and Fang are missing, maybe even dead_, _the Superior's still alive, probably planning on how best to kill us all, I am _covered _in blood and guts, some mine, some not, I can't fly because my wings are all torn up, and you're in love with–"

I stopped myself quickly, breathing heavily. _Crap. _With a capital C.

His grey gaze bore down on me, suddenly intense. I looked away, my face turning scarlet. I had said _way _too much.

"Who am I in love with?" he asked.

It was too late to deny it now, so I mumbled, "Anastasia."

"_Anna?"_ he said in disbelief. Then, to my utter surprise, he burst out laughing. "Are you joking?"

"I – um – no," I stumbled.

He grinned. "She's my best friend, Angel, and that's all she'll ever be."

"But you were blushing," I said defensively.

"What – when?" he asked, looking at me as if I were crazy.

"When you were talking about Wally and Peter becoming Eraser chow…" I trailed off as his expression turned sour.

"You _spied _on me?" he burst out.

"No," I said quickly. "I just… I'm Anastasia's twin sister, so we both…"

"You can read minds, _too?" _he bellowed. "Can you do everything else as well?"

I nodded slowly.

"Oh, this is just great," he snapped. "So are you doing it now? Can you hear me saying _respect people's privacy?"_

I mumbled something incomprehensible.

"You know, I always hated that about Anna," he continued. "That she could do things like that. People shouldn't be allowed to read minds for a _reason, _Angel. And now _you _can do it, too? God." He exhaled in frustration. "So what other evidence do you have for this… ridiculous claim?"

"Anastasia was always flirting with you," I said.

"She was just like that," he retorted. "She used to be different. I don't want to say this, but she was cruel. I was friends with her because she had her moments. Sometimes she was nice, genuinely nice, and we had fun. This sounds corny, but I knew that she was a good person at heart. And now she's become that with you."

I scowled. If that wasn't a loved up speech, I didn't know what was. "When she was fifteen, you were arguing with her about Subject Twenty-Seven, and you were saying that she shouldn't love him."

"I'd just found out that he was cheating on her with the Superior," he replied quietly. "He was a cold-hearted, cheating murderer, and I didn't want her to get hurt."

"Spoken like a true lover," I snapped.

"Spoken like a best friend," he countered. "You'd do the same for the Gasman, and he's your brother."

I started. This was a very good point.

"You and I are both murderers," I said. "And so is Anastasia. What makes him any different?"

I knew the answer before I'd even asked the question.

"Come on," he said. "He's a jerk. He's a bad guy."

"Fine," I said. "But what about the blushing? What about all that?"

"I never _blushed," _he argued.

"Yes, you did!" I shouted back. "Don't lie to me! You were blushing when she told you about Wally and Peter being Eraser Chow!"

"If my face was red," he growled, "It was because I was _furious _at what happened to them. I expected it and I was already angry before she told me the truth, but when she did… it was awful."

I frowned. Did I believe him?

"So?" he asked, his voice suddenly not angry any more. "Do you believe me?"

I stared up at him; our eyes locked, mine pure cerulean, his stormy grey. A clear blue sky against a thunderstorm. Even our eyes were as opposite as it got. Our personalities… heck, I didn't even want to get started on how different they were.

"So?" he repeated.

"I don't believe you," I finally said.

He reached one hand around the back of my neck and pulled me up, with me wincing all the way, until I was sitting.

"I don't love her," he said, leaning closer to me, his eyes never leaving mine.

I swallowed. "Yes. Yes, you do."

Before I knew what was happening, his lips swooped down to mine, his breath hot in my mouth, his fingers curling into my blood-soaked hair. Forget about the pirouetting my heart had been doing, it was now bursting out of my chest, like my ribs weren't strong enough to hold its furious pounding inside. I linked my own hands around the back of his neck, fervently pulling him closer. Finally, he drew away, his breathing a little ragged.

"Now," he demanded, staring at me with a strange expression. "Now do you believe me?"

I nodded slowly. I had never been more certain of anything in my life.

* * *

**_Everyone, say it on three. One, two, three. FINALLY!_**


	53. Fang

_**So I just had to sign in, and it asked me to fill in one of those boxes that makes sure you're not a robot or whatever, and the two words I had to type in were: cruel school. Sound familiar? I burst out laughing.**_

**Fang**

**Max POV**

"Max! Nudge!"

Total shot into my arms, licking my face enthusiastically. I gagged.

"Total," I said, wiping my face clean with my sleeve. "Ew."

He laughed. "So, where's Fang?"

I faltered. "We – uh – don't know."

"Well," said Anastasia brightly, "We've got seven down – including Fitz – and one to go. If we have all of us looking for him, we'll find him real quick."

Nudge nodded. "Yep. So shall we split up?"

"Let's just all check this room first," suggested the Gasman.

_Split up, _countered the Voice.

"No," I said. "Splitting up will mean we find him quicker. Anastasia can make sure we can pass messages from half of us to the other, so we're safe."

She smiled. "I'd love to."

_You should go with Anastasia, _the Voice went on. _Look around in here. The others can search somewhere else._

I scowled. _I'm the one giving instructions._

_Fine, if you want me to go?_

_Okay, okay, _I snapped. _Stay._

_If that's what you really want. _

I didn't appreciate the Voice's tone of sarcasm, but took his advice anyway.

"Anastasia," I said. "You and me will look around in here. Gazzy, Nudge and Total, you go look in other rooms, okay?"

Total licked my chin. "I'm staying with you, Max."

The Gasman's mouth dropped open. "You _traitor."_

"Nope," said Total, grinning. "I'm just looking after my rear end."

"Rear end?" spluttered the Gasman.

"Yes," said Total firmly, waggling his butt at him. "My black, fluffy, hygienic rear end. Unlike your white, unhygienic one."

Nudge smiled, trying to be helpful. "Don't worry, Gaz, Iggy's rear end is much–"

We all burst out at the same time.

"Don't want to hear it," I said desperately. "Please, Nudge."

"GOOD GOD, NO!" yelled Total, trying to cover his ears with his front paws.

"Ewwwwwwwwwww!" shouted the Gasman.

Anastasia went pale as she saw what Nudge was thinking about Iggy's – (cough) – rear end, and let out a huge groan. "You just scarred me for life, Nudge!"

Nudge looked confused. "I don't know what's wrong with it. I think it's a perfectly _great–"_

"I think I'm about to faint," mumbled Total.

_Maximum, _said the Voice. _Hurry up._

"Fine, Total, you can come with us," I said, remembering Fang. "But let's just hurry up, all right?"

The Gasman and Nudge left, with Nudge chatting incessantly about the pertness of Iggy's – _ahem_ – and the Gasman covering his ears and bellowing the Postman Pat theme song at the top of his voice. Total, still in my arms, was also belting out the same tune, but with different lyrics.

"Maximum Ride, Maximum Ride, Maximum Ride and her awesome black dog," he sang. "Early in the morning, Off to kill Erasers, She punches all the living daylights out of them…"

I zoned out. Total's voice was worse than the Gasman's, and that was saying something.

"Total, shut up," said Anastasia, at which Total burst out that he was majorly offended and she had no right to shut him up, it was a free world. "I'M TRYING TO GET TO FANG!"

At that, he shut up.

So much for a free world.

**Anastasia POV**

I listened harder than I had ever listened before, casting my mind even further than I ever had before, testing its limits. I lost all awareness of Total and Max beside me, focusing only on Fang's mind. I had only tasted it once or twice before, when I was living with the flock for that ridiculously short amount of time, before I – er – betrayed them, but the feel of his mind stayed etched in mine, since it was so different from most. Where most minds were near to constantly thinking, his was silent, only occasionally thinking of Max and food or whatever.

That's what made him easy to find. It was also what made him extremely difficult to find.

On the plus side, if I found his mind, I would instantly know it was him. On the negative, staying silent for long periods of time would mean that I could easily skip over him, miss his mind.

But I did it. It took me nearly half an hour, much longer than it had ever taken me to find someone, but I found him.

_Where the hell am I? Open your eyes, Fang. Shit. Why can't I do it? I wonder how much time has passed. Probably hours, maybe days. Is Max okay? Max. God, Max. I gotta move, I gotta find her._

Suddenly, I felt myself sucked back into reality as Total screamed (like a little girl) and Max let out a surprised yell. Around a metre away from us, Fang appeared out of nowhere, his eyes opening slowly.

"Hey, guys," he said. "Max. I was just going to find you."

She dropped Total, who quickly opened his wings, then let out a string of grumbles, and ran to him, before kissing him hard on the mouth.

It was obvious what had happened. What with his ability to fade into the background when he stayed still, he had become invisible when he became unconscious and stopped moving. Now, after moving his eyes, he was visible again.

I just found it a little annoying that I spent so much time looking for him when he was so close to me.

_Just _a little.

But Max looked happy, Total looked happy and Fang looked… content, so I just smiled and looked happy myself. Then I thought of the Gasman, and sent him the message.

_Come back. Right now. We gottem. Everyone's here. Now let's go kill the evil dragon lady._

He came straight back with, _Sure thang, lil' sis. Let's go kill that ball of poop that came out of Iggy's ass. Sorry. Nudge's been telling me about it for pretty much thirty minutes. It's the kind of thing that just – unfortunately – sticks in your mind._

I winced. _Thanks, Gaz._

_Hey, _he thought. _It's what big brothers are for._

* * *

_**YAY! The flock are nearly back together! Thoughts?**_


	54. Doors

**Doors**

"So, Grey, you're… not in love with Anastasia," I said slowly. "For sure?"

Fitz exhaled in frustration. "Angel, of _course _not. God, she's just a friend. My best friend. That's just not right."

I smiled broadly. "Good."

His gaze suddenly seared into mine, and I swallowed. "What's it to you, anyway?"

"I…" I tried searching for an excuse – _anything. _This was just great. Whenever anyone else said anything, I could come up with a comeback, just like that. This was a first for me. And I _really _didn't like it. Not one bit. "Just curious."

Right. Because he would believe that.

"Just curious?" he repeated. Then he moved slightly closer to me, so we were almost – _almost – _close to kissing again. Although that hadn't been kissing, before. That had been the best freaking out-of-body experience that exists. And I would know, wouldn't I?

"Yes," I choked out, feeling his breath on my lips. "Curious."

"So what else are you curious about?" he mumbled, his hand curling around the back of my neck.

When he kissed me, then, my heart actually exploded. That was before, you, know, I heard Max's thoughts, _very _close to me, going _WHAT THE HECK?_

Fitz pulled slowly away from me, as I turned and stared up at Max, Fang, Nudge, Anastasia, the Gasman and Total, all of whom were looking incredulous.

Total was the only one who looked the slightest bit positive. "Aw, my little Angel's so grown up."

'Course, no one else was.

"_What," _snarled the Gasman, glowering at us, "Is going on? Angel, you and this freaking–"

"Fitz," interrupted Anastasia. "Um… that's my sister."

She read my thoughts before I could stop her, and her face dawned in understanding. _"Oh. _You like him?"

_Thanks, _I thought at her, annoyed.

She smiled. _I think he likes you, too. At least, that's what I'm getting from him. It's all a bit jumbled, though, what with the confusion of us being here, and you getting all embarrassed. Plus, he didn't know whether you liked him or not._

_And now pretty much the whole Flock knows, _I thought.

_Just doing my job._

"Who the heck is this guy, anyway?" asked Fang.

"We'll talk later," said Max, both to him and me. "Right now, we need to kill some Superior ass."

The Gasman gagged. "Don't say that word. It makes me think of Iggy."

"What – _ass?" _I said.

Gazzy nodded, looking suddenly queasy.

"Fitz, or whatever your name is, I need you to take us to the clone place," said Max, glaring at him. "And then you can leave, and stop messing around with Angel."

Fitz glowered. "You can't just use me, then dump me. I'm going through with you. I want to be the one to kill her."

"Sorry," interrupted Anastasia. "_I _am."

"Um," I cut in. "No, you're not. _I _am. I need to get her back for everything she's done."

"She called me a mongrel," piped up Total. "I'm _so _getting her for that."

"I don't care who kills her," growled Max, "But you, Fitz, aren't coming in. I don't trust you."

He gaped. "Are you serious?"

She nodded. "You can take us there, then you can leave. Otherwise I'll get Angel or Anastasia to get into your head, and _take _the information. Then we don't need you, anyway."

"They wouldn't," he snapped.

Max faced Anastasia, who shook her head slowly. Then she turned to me.

_Don't do it, _thought Anastasia quickly. _If you like him, keep him close. Plus, we need him if there are too many Erasers._

I shook my head at Max. Her jaw tightened. Fitz looked satisfied.

"Fine," she said reluctantly. "Fine, you can stay."

He led us down what seemed like a hundred – guess what? – _white _corridors, before finally kicking open a locked door. There, winding right down into the ground, was the longest stretch of steps I had ever seen. But, since we were Avian-Americans, we just opened up our wings and glided down, barely grazing the stairs. Fitz and Max had to carry me, though. Me, the invalid, whose wings were broken. I hated it, but they wouldn't budge.

When we were nearly at the bottom, our ears popped. I pinched my nose and blew, trying to calm them.

"Right," said Fitz, pointing down another white corridor, blaring with fluorescents. "The clones are down there."

We walked for a bit, me limping and leaning on Max and Fitz, who both seemed equally determined to be the one to help me. About ten metres in, we got to the first door. It was huge, as long as my wingspan, and gleamed in the artificial light.

Fitz shrugged, as the Gasman launched a kick at it and nothing happened. "I told you, it's impossible to get it open."

The door, as I forgot to add, was also metal.

Nudge smiled, pushing past him. She stood close to it, holding out both of her hands.

"You're not going to be able to get it open," said Fitz tiredly. "Especially since–"

Nudge frowned. "What? Since I'm a girl?"

"No," he said. "Because you're…"

His jaw dropped open as the door suddenly shuddered, attracted to the pull of Nudge's magnetism, and then they burst away from the hinges, shooting towards Nudge's hands. When they were about to hit her, she let go, and they crashed to the ground.

She turned to Fitz, beaming. "What was it you were saying?"

The second door, however, wasn't made out of metal, but something much stronger, much heavier and much thicker.

Anastasia dealt with this one.

She morphed into an exact replica of the Superior, knowing her better than I did, and then leaned in close to the eye scan, which whirred and accepted the pattern of her eyes, before flashing that a code was needed. We were stuck.

"See," said Fitz. "No way in, unless one of you has a talent to correctly guess codes."

He was cynical, like Max. I kinda liked it.

Nudge moved forwards again, making an annoying 'look at me, I'm amazing' face. She fidgeted around with the eye-scan box for a few seconds, pulling the screws out with her magnetism, before calling the Gasman up. Together, they moved wires and tapped in numbers. They fixed the cover of the box back on, chuckling.

"It's 8H6t5900NmpO326laP," said Nudge, typing it in.

CODE ACCEPTED, flashed the screen.

Fitz looked on in amazement.

"Nudge can work miracles with computers," I explained. "And Gazzy's … well, he's been in the bomb-making business since he was tiddly. If anyone knows how to work with wires, it's my man here or the Igster."

Fitz nodded, speechless, as Anastasia transformed back into herself.

The third door, as expected, was the hardest of them all. Even after Anastasia, Nudge and the Gasman worked their magic on the eye-scan and code, the door still wouldn't open.

"How?" asked Max, glaring at Fitz. "How does it open?"

"I don't know," he said.

The Gasman pulled out a fist-sized grenade. "Can't we just blast it open?"

"No," said Fitz hurriedly. "If there's an explosion down here, we could cause an earthquake. Then everything might collapse on top of us. The clones would die, but so would we."

"But I used bombs up there, and that was underground," the Gasman pointed out. "They worked, and we're still alive."

"The structure up there is ridiculously well-built," he said. "There are experiments up there all the time, so it has been built to withstand explosions and things like that. I'm pretty sure they haven't proofed this place nearly as much. One of your bombs could kill us all."

"Then how the heck do we get this open?" snarled the Gasman.

I guessed he still hadn't particularly warmed to Fitz, since after he had seen us kissing. Oh well. I would work on that, if we got out alive.

Fitz didn't answer, but scanned the entire door and the area around it, his brow furrowed. The Gasman lunged forwards, as if to attack him in frustration, but I stepped in between them. He stopped still. Normally, of course, he would just go straight at me, but my injuries made this different. He couldn't hurt me even more. He knew that, I knew that he knew that, and the Flock knew that I knew that he knew that. Why else would I have done it, when the slightest knock would probably make me cry out in pain?

"Fine," scowled the Gasman. "Go on his side, Angel. And you! If it weren't for my sister, you'd be a pile of blood and guts on the floor by now."

"Can you _please _get a hold of yourself?" demanded Fitz angrily. "I think there might be some sort of hidden button or something that could open this. We need to try and find it."

* * *

_**So what do you think? Will they or won't they? Reviews?**_


	55. Flies

**_Sorry, as always, for not updating. Been quite busy lately, but I hope to get the last chapter up in the next week sometime._**

**Flies**

It was Total that found it. It was the tiniest ridge in the floor, right on the edge of it where it met the wall. He pushed it with his paw, and when that didn't work, he grabbed it in his jaws and yanked. The door glowed red-hot.

"What now?" asked Nudge.

Fitz stepped forwards and pushed the door, but jerked his hands away the instant they touched them. They hissed, and came away smoking.

"What now?" she repeated.

I looked over at Max. "Does the Voice have anything to say?"

Fitz looked confused. "What voice?"

"Max has a voice in her head that tells her stuff," I explained. "It's pretty useful."

"Don't bother telling us we're crazy," snapped Max at his expression. "And Angel, the Voice likes to be annoying. Of course he won't answer when we need him."

So I guess things had to be taken into my own hands.

I dove into Max's mind, searching for the Voice. I'd never done this before, because, usually, Max would have some plan. This time, none of us had any idea what to do next.

_Voice, _I demanded. _We need you. Voice! VOICE!_

The Gasman prodded my nose lightly, a part of me that wasn't covered in dried blood.

"What?" I asked. "I was trying to get–"

"Look," said the Gasman.

I turned to face the door, now moving, ever slowly inching open.

"What the–"

"I don't know," said Fitz, shrugging. "It just started opening. We don't know why."

Max rolled up her sleeves. "Right. Superior, get ready. I'm coming to kill you."

"Hey," growled the Gasman. "_I _wanted to."

"How about we all go and cause damage to the clones?" said Max. "Okay?"

The door thudded open. They all flooded in. I limped through.

"_Jesus," _breathed Fitz. "Would you look at that?"

Beneath us were thousands of rows upon rows of identical Superiors contained in what looked like jelly.

"That's a hell of a lot more than two hundred clones," said the Gasman. "And how exactly do you plan on destroying them without a bomb? Or… multiple bombs?"

From behind us came a voice, oh-so-familiar.

"How indeed?"

We spun around. And there, looking devastatingly evil – just as always – was the Superior, and around thirty mutants that I'd never even seen before standing behind her, all holding machine guns.

We were dead.

_Very _dead.

* * *

"Actually," continued the Superior, flexing the fingers of her new body. "I think I might just destroy you first. Including you, Grey. Then I'll just use your body to figure out how you tick_ed. _But before I kill you, I need to tell Angel something. Come here."

"Not on your life," I shot back.

One of the new mutants darted forwards, grabbing Nudge and shoved the barrel of its machine gun against her temple. All in the space of one second.

"Come here," said the Superior again, calmly.

I stepped forwards shakily. _Do something, _I thought at Fitz.

She moved forwards and leaned down to my ear.

"I like you, Angel," she whispered. "You fascinate me, and I prefer you to Anastasia. She was boring, and you – you're much more fun to play with. So I'm going to give you an ultimatum. Either you tell your little friends to leave now and stay here yourself, to be a sort of replacement for Anastasia; I might even consider keeping Grey for your company. Or you can all fight and die. All apart from you. But if you choose that option, I'll keep you alive, but I'll keep you in a cage for the rest of your life, and I'll kill your friends slowly, painfully." She smiled. "So, Angel, what do you choose? A life of bliss and for your friends to live, too? Or a painful death for all of them, and you to survive in a cage forever?"

"They'll never leave me," I hissed back. "I know this sounds cheesy, but we're a family, okay? So don't threaten me, because I _hate _you and would never live with you."

"So you want them all to die?" she asked.

I glared at her. "None of us will die. We're strong. Unlike you."

"I'm immortal," she snarled.

"Not for long," I hissed back.

One of the new mutants suddenly grabbed hold of me and flung me across the room. At that instant, Fitz shot across to the mutant who had Nudge, kicked it to kingdom come, threw its machine gun over to the Gasman, who caught it, and shot across the room to catch me. He missed.

I crashed into the wall and felt my entire body explode in pain. Scarlet pain. I didn't even manage to scream before I slid to the floor, lights dancing behind my slowly closing eyelids. I felt myself giving in, and, as the chaos around me stilled for one moment, I finally let go.

* * *

**Max POV**

Was Angel dead? I didn't know. I didn't know anything. Everything was a blur around me. We were fighting these mutants – new, incredibly fast and strong – and I caught a glimpse of the Superior slipping away, towards the huge block of a machine at the centre of the room. But that was hours ago. Wasn't it?

The mutant I had been fighting collapsed as my uppercut collided with the soft tissue under its chin. At least I knew the mutant was dead.

I looked around me. Total was bravely nipping at the ankles of one of the mutants, while Nudge was punching its face. And the Gasman, well, he was standing his ground, the machine gun in his grip spitting bullets at the rest of the mutants. I smiled for a second. I had taught them well.

And yes, I was damn proud.

But my smile faded when the mutants began firing back. Nudge and Total sprinted behind a white column, the mutant they were beating up shot dead by his fellow mutants; Fang and Anastasia snapped their wings out and flew upwards, before diving down at them, swerving to avoid oncoming bullets; I rolled across the ground, James-Bond-style, and joined them in the air. And when I was up there, I saw that, without Fitz, we would be doomed.

He was in the middle of them all, countless bullets embedded in his skin, taking them all out like flies.

There was a scream from behind me. Nudge stood, her mouth open in surprise, her hand jerking to her chest, where a web of blood was spreading. She tumbled forwards.

I plummeted towards her, needing to help her, when there was another bloodcurdling cry from somewhere behind me. The Gasman had been hit.

I was torn. I didn't know who to go to. The bullets were everywhere now, slicing the air, and I knew that it wasn't only the mutants who would be dropping like flies.

It was the flock, too.

Total was next, as a mutant hurled him into a metal post. And then, all of a sudden, Fitz yelled out in shock. He staggered away from the mutants, and fell to the ground, his eyes slipping shut.

The four mutants left stared up at Anastasia, Fang and I. Fitz had killed so many of them, but they had gotten him at last, and now they would get us.

But I, Maximum Ride, would rather strip naked and break-dance in a public place than let that happen.

Anastasia and Fang landed, both grappling with a mutant each, while the remaining two made a beeline for me. I dove, grazing the floor as I grabbed two machine guns, then arched backwards, firing the bullets at them. One dodged, but the other took the full hit, and shuddered once, before falling to the ground.

I raced towards the other one, but before I could pull the trigger, I saw – out of the corner of my eye – Anastasia crumple to the ground. I faltered, and the mutant snatched the machine guns out of my hands, and hit their metal barrels against my skull. I cried out.

Then, suddenly, Fang was by my side, and fighting the mutant. The mutant that he had been fighting, and the mutant that Anastasia had been fighting, turned, advancing.

"I'm gonna protect you, Max," Fang half-snarled, grabbing me hard and looking deep into my eyes. "We're not dying in here. Any of us. 'Cause I love you, and you'd better not forget that."

I managed a nod, before the mutants attacked. Three against two. But then again, who ever said fighting for you life was gonna be fair?

They were good. _Really _good.

I was taking bad hits, and my vision was beginning to blur. But finally, with a well-aimed punch and a stomp on its face, I had killed one of the mutants. I glanced beside me, at Fang, and saw that he had killed one, too. So there was only one left, now.

Two against one.

Like taking candy from a baby.

The mutant hurtled towards us. It was then that I realised, suddenly, that it had a machine gun in its hands. It fired, the bullets racing straight at my heart.

I was suddenly frozen. I couldn't move.

I was going to die.

Me, Maximum Ride.

Like this.

I was going to die.

_No, Maximum. _

I recognised the Voice.

_So you're back now, _I thought._  
_

_You're not going to die._

He was talking BS with a capital B.

But of course, as always, the Voice was right.

Just as I gritted my teeth, Fang shoved me aside, barrelling his whole weight into me. I glanced up at him, grinning, about to spout out some kind of witty comment, when I saw the look on his face.

And I knew, right then.

He had taken the bullets.

For me.

He stumbled towards me, his eyes darker than ever.

"You idiot," I hissed, blinking back horrified tears. "Why the _heck _did you do that?"

"I freaking said I would protect you, didn't I?" he said, defensive. "You never believe me."

The Voice suddenly spoke up again.

_Don't forget about the mutant._

There were two more bullet shots, and I shuddered against Fang, feeling ice, burning ice, erupt across my back.

I stared at Fang. He stared back.

There was horror and fury and shock and love there, in his black, black eyes. Love. He loved me. I loved him. It was really there.

I think our eyes closed at the same time.

* * *

_**Reviews?**_

_**You know I love you all.  
**_


	56. Machine

**Machine**

**Angel POV**

_I wonder where I am. I look around slowly, and realize I'm flying, my wings outstretched on either side of me, flying up, up, up through the clouds and into the atmosphere. The flock are around me, all laughing, happy._

_Nudge is spiraling upwards, chatting about something to do with Pizza Hut, while Total defends Burger King, Max and Fang are flying close together, their fingers occasionally brushing, Anastasia and the Gasman are grinning back at me, my two siblings on either side of me, and Iggy… Iggy's not here._

_Why?_

_I close my eyes, reveling in the cool air._

"_Where are we going?" I ask to no one in particular._

_Nudge answers in her sing-song voice. "Heaven, Angel. We're going up, up and away!"_

_Max smiles, confirming this. "Straight to the pearly gates."_

"_Well, at least we know Angel will fit in," perks up Total. "Do you get it? Angel? Angels live in Heaven? No one? Thank you, Sta– Sorry, I meant Anastasia."_

"_You know I hate Stace," agrees Anastasia. "Never."_

_I smile. Heaven. The place where I would belong, forever, with the flock._

_But no Iggy,_

_For some reason, this does not seem to be bothering anyone else._

_I hesitate, and the flock falters along with me. Somewhere far away, there is a whirring noise, slowly getting louder and louder._

_I think of Iggy again. Where is he?_

_The whirring is getting even louder now, almost deafening._

_Then the sky is sucked away in a huge rush, and all there is is whirring, whirring, whirring and the thought of Iggy._

_

* * *

_

I woke up to a throbbing pain. There was no flock, no sky, only blood, dead mutants, and that whirring noise, ever louder. I looked up, bleary-eyed, towards the doorway. What I saw there made me jerk upright. And yes, it hurt like nothing else.

There was a monster of what looked like a car without a roof – was that a _hovercraft? – _there, its propellers whirring away, whipping up the debris around it into the air. And on it stood Iggy, his blue, blind eyes furiously trying to scan the area around him, a huge machine gun in his hands.

A mutant – I guessed it to be the last one alive – wheeled around, facing him, and lunged. Iggy, hearing it, let rip with the bullets. There was a spray of blood and the mutant skidded to the floor. I turned my head, satisfied, to see the Superior standing at a huge machine, looking around frantically, hurriedly typing in numbers into a keyboard.

She was frantic.

My lip twitched a little.

Iggy suddenly broke down into gasping sobs. I stared at him.

"Iggy," I said. "Hey, Igs!"

At the sound of my voice, he killed the hovercraft and sprinted towards me. He found me, and I hugged him, hard.

"God, Angel," he said. "I'm so relieved, you don't understand. I was back there, up on the cliff, and you guys weren't coming back, and I was so worried. So I covered the exit of the cave with a huge rock so Tiger's safe – but don't worry, there are air holes – and came on down. I found that hovercraft lying around, so I hot-wired it and I just went around the whole of the – Oh, here. I found these in one of the labs. Thought they could help."

From his pocket he dug out a few glass bottles filled with pills, two huge first aid kits and a massive roll of white bandages.

"What are these?" I asked, pointing at the bottles.

"Oh, they kill bacteria or something. Stop infections," he said. "Quite new technology, and you just put the pill into a wound, it dissolves and spreads out. _Plus _it doesn't sting."

"How do you–"

"A whitecoat told me," he explained. "And then he, um, just happened to die. Maybe."

I smiled. "Good on you, Ig."

"So," he said. "Can we just get the flock and get outta here?"

It all came crashing back. Our surroundings. The blood. My dream. Heaven.

Had that been a dream?

Or was it real?

I stiffened. "Iggy, I think they're badly hurt. You need to get to each of them and help them with this stuff, 'kay? I'll go after the Superior."

"But can you even–"

"I'll be fine, Igs," I said, standing up and gritting my teeth. "Just a bit stiff, but I heal quick. This is nothing. But you – _you have to hurry."_

I knew I could deal with the pain. I could walk, at least, and seemed, ironically, to be better than when I had set foot in this room.

For a moment, I wondered why.

Then I did a quick one-eighty, and saw the Gasman sprawled on the floor. I felt my heart crash into my stomach. There was blood, so much blood, seeping through his shirt. But... that was new blood. So he must have been shot minutes ago, tops.

Seeing him, bleeding, motionless, made me hesitate.

"Iggy," I said in a choked voice. "I'm helping, too. We can get her afterwards. She's doing something down there, but we'll keep an eye on her and her clones. For now, we've got to help them. You get Nudge, five o'clock."

He rushed in the direction I had pointed him towards, after first cutting me a generous piece of white bandages. I headed straight for my brother.

There were two bullets embedded in his shoulder, but luckily, there were none anywhere near his vital organs. I tended to him quickly but carefully, as Max had taught us, checking his pulse as I did so. It was weak, but it was there. I let out a relieved sigh.

"Gaz," I said, shaking him gently. "Hey, Gazzy."

His eyelids slowly flickered open, and he let out a groan. I smiled through tears.

"Angel?" he mumbled.

"Yo, big bro," I said.

He smiled weakly.

"It's not too bad," I explained. "Right here, in your shoulder, two bullets. But you'll heal quickly. Then you can start helping me and Iggy with the others."

He got to his feet, clearly in some pain. "I'm helping you now."

I began to protest, then gave up. This was a losing battle, and I couldn't afford to waste any time. I ripped the roll of bandages Iggy had given me into two, and gave him one of the glass bottles, which I had used on him, and some of the First Aid kit supplies.

"Go to Total and Anastasia, over there," I said. "And I'll go over there, to-"

There, lying with one arm around each other, were Max and Fang, their faces tilted towards each other. Max and Fang. I remembered seeing them in the sky in my dream, flying towards Heaven.

In reality, they weren't going to be going anywhere near Heaven.

They would stick to the good ol' Earth.

I would make sure of it.

I rushed towards them, checking their pulses first. Max's was strong, much stronger than I would have thought possible, when the bullet holes in her back barely skimmed past her heart and lungs. But it was Fang's that made me have to check again, something I'd never had to do before. I finally found it.

Yes, it was there, but it was extremely weak.

He had taken the full force of bullets across his abdomen, curving in a neat arc across his torso. I tore his shirt in two, using it to clean the blood that was seeping from him. The damage was terrible.

I picked up the glass bottle from where I had put it down beside me and tried to yank off its lid. But my hands were covered in his and the Gasman's blood, making it slippery, and, try as I might, I couldn't open it. And, it seemed that every second, the amount of blood around me doubled.

I couldn't waste a single drop.

I used all my strength to try and wrench it open, but it refused to do so.

"For _God's–"_

"Here," came a voice.

I turned, my vision blurry with tears, and made out the figure of Fitz. He took the bottle from me, and popped open the lid in one swift movement, before applying it to Fang. All I did was stand and watch as he patched him up, tying the bandages firmly around his torso, before moving on to Max.

"They'll be fine," he told me, as he secured the bandages on Max.

I didn't even care that he'd had to tear apart her shirt to get to the wounds. And, looking around, I didn't even care that we, the Flock, had never looked worse.

We had been _that _close to dying.

And now we were alive.

"Thanks," I said to Fitz, slowly, trying to convey all my feeling into that one word. "I – um – you saved their lives. I just stood here, doing nothing, and–"

He shook his head. "Your brother woke me up. And you fixed your brother up. Which means that _you _saved my life. I don't know how to thank you."

"How about," I said, grinning, "You help us kill the Superior."

* * *

Right then, there was a small explosion, and, from down below, the Superior let out a cry of satisfaction. The Gasman was at the edge, staring down at the machine and the clones below, in an instant. Fitz and I followed him, and so did Anastasia, who seemed to be getting better by the minute, and Iggy.

"What the…"

The machine was letting out a stream of beeps, and there was a red light flashing brightly on its top left corner. From the ceiling erupted a series of metal rods.

Fitz's expression darkened, and his grip on the railing tightened.

"Fitz…" began Anastasia slowly. "What is it? What's going on?"

"Get out, Anna," he said. "All of you, get the hell out right now. Take the hovercraft and leave."

"No," I said. "Tell us what's wrong."

He stared down at the Superior, who was frantic again, typing in more figures.

"By the time she finishes typing, we're dead," he muttered. "That machine's for emergency uses. It will trigger electrical currents to pass through this entire room. It'll kill us all."

"But she'll die, too," said Anastasia. "And all the equipment…"

"They're only directed at living organisms," he explained. "She'll die, but the jelly of the clones will protect them, meaning that she can come back to life afterwards. I would know. I freaking designed it."

"You..." The Gasman trailed off, horrified. "Is there enough time to..."

"Get everyone in the hovercraft," snapped Fitz. "I'll try and hold her off, otherwise you'll only have about a minute, which is not enough at all to get up the stairs and through the corridor with the three doors. You won't make it."

The Gasman and Iggy rushed to the rest of the flock with a mumbled "Thanks" to Fitz, and began helping Total, Nudge, Fang and Max, all of whom – with the exception of Nudge – sounded extremely offended, telling them that they could get into the thing themselves. Max, seeing Anastasia and I linger behind with Fitz, headed our way, the pain caused by the bullets etched all over her face.

"Angel, Anastasia, we have to go," she said. "Thank you, Fitz for, you know, but… Well, anyway. Thanks."

She walked away, back to the hovercraft, looking awkward, where everyone was waiting for us. I looked back at Fitz and Anastasia. Anastasia was crying softly.

"This is ridiculous," she mumbled. "Fitz, just… please don't. _Please."_

I suddenly felt awkward myself, like I didn't belong in this moment.

"Anna, get in the craft," he said. "You too, Angel."

He leant down and brushed a kiss over my lips, his finger lingering for a second on my lower lip, before letting his hand fall to his side.

"I like you, Angel," he said. "You're pretty cool."

The Gasman rushed over to us, then, and forced us to go to the hovercraft, before whispering something to Fitz and pressing something into his hand. Before returning to us waiting in the hovercraft, Anastasia crying softly, me staring at Fitz, who was going to give his life to protect us.

He hardly even knew us.

He hardly even knew me.

The Gasman jumped into the hovercraft, and Iggy kicked it into gear, before it shot back up the stairs and back the way we had come.

The last I saw of Fitz Grey, he was leaping over the side of the railing, slicing a perfect arc through the air towards the Superior, a smile playing on her face.

* * *

**_Okay. So._**

**_Of course I was never going to kill off the flock! NEVER._**

**_So. Panic over? Or not quite?_**

**_Reviews?  
_**


	57. Sapphire

**_Just a little A/N to help any confusion that might arise while people are reading this. If you see a divider in this chapter, it's a separation from the Superior and Fitz talking in real life, and the Superior's memories on the screen._**

**_Also, I actually wanted to call this chapter memories, but, looking back, I realised I already had a chapter called Memories, so I ended up with a title not so good. (I think)_**

**_Sorry about that._**

**Sapphire**

**Fitz POV**

I grabbed her hair and pulled her head backwards to hiss into her ear.

"It's just you and me now."

She sniggered. "All I have to do now is press enter, and you'll _die. _You have no chance."

Her fingers were poised millimetres away from the keys. If I reacted, she would kill us both. But I had to hold out until it was time.

I locked my gaze with hers. "What is it you want? How did this all happen?"

"You want my life story?" she snorted.

I had to play the game.

I sank into a casual crouch on the floor, pretending to ponder over it for a moment. "Yeah. I want to know why you're doing all of this."

She shrugged. "Well, there's no harm, since you'll be dead afterwards."

I knew what she would do next. It was this that I had been counting for, all along.

She pulled up a new window on the screen of the machine, and typed in a date. It was a memory, stored in the machine that recorded her life, so that every Superior clone would be identical.

She pressed play.

* * *

Images of her life flashed across the screen.

First, flanked by a young blonde woman and a handsome man, stood a young girl. The image falls onto the young girl's hand, linked with another small one, presumably the Superior's own, from whose eyes everything on the screen was being seen. More memories flickered past as the two grew older, and then, suddenly, they halted.

I knew before it began that this was going to be a very powerful memory.

It was your typical classroom scene, with teenagers of about seventeen chatting and laughing, awaiting their teacher. The clock struck eleven.

"Mr. Lockman's not coming," said a broad-shouldered boy. "Let's face it. So can we leave? Come on."

The Superior's voice burst out, slightly hesitant, hopeful. "Actually, Pete, I think we should stay."

"Well, you _would _say that," snorted Pete. "Sapphire, you've got a thing for him. Everyone knows."

Sapphire? Was that the Superior's real name?

"I… I…" stammered the Superior, or Sapphire, or whatever she was called. "No, that's not – that's not true."

There were a chorus of _oohs, _and _she's bluuuuushings _and the Superior stood up abruptly, looking down at her hands. They were shaking.

"Sapphire," said Pete, evidently the 'cool guy'. He stood up and walked towards the screen, towards the Superior, and leaned in close, grinning broadly. "You either like him or there's another reason why you go bright red anytime he's around. So. What's that reason?"

"Go away," she said.

He chuckled, and so did the rest of the class. "You know what, you're not _too _bad looking. Without your nose, you could even be considered attractive. So if you cover it up for the rest of your life, he might just look at you, one day. Even though he's a teacher."

Her hand came up sharp and she slapped him across the cheek.

* * *

The Superior, in real life, hit fast forward.

"So I liked Mr. Lockman," she told me, as the screen whirred and her memories flashed past. "And it was because of him that all of this happened. Luckily for me, and not so luckily for you and the flock."

The next memory was of the Superior sitting in an office, opposite a strong-jawed man with greying hair. On his desk was positioned a metal nameplate. Mr. Lockman.

"I've heard the rumours," he began slowly, his voice low. "I would like to know if they are true or not before the school finds out, Sapphire."

She looked up slowly, and he filled the screen.

"They're just…" She swallowed.

"Please, Sapphire," he said. "I know how hard it must be, but you are a brilliant pupil, and I want to make sure of how you feel."

She blurted out her confession. "They're true, Mr. Lockman."

He looked taken aback. Then he stood up, closed the blinds of his window and sat back down. She followed his every move. He suddenly smiled broadly.

"I like you, too, Sapphire," he murmured, and, tilting his head towards her, he kissed her.

This was so wrong on so many different levels that my mouth gaped open.

This memory twisted into another one, of the Superior standing with Mr. Lockman in a huge lab, not unlike ones at the Base and the School. In the corner of the room were a cluster of cages, filled with animals, some mutated.

"So this is it," breathed the Superior. "It's amazing. You're so clever, Victor."

He smiled, and gestured to one of five of the scientists standing around. She was a brunette with wide-set eyes and a drooping mouth. "Thank you, Sapphire. This is my wife, Jean. Don't worry, she knows about you and me. We were never in love, just both loved science."

"Nice to meet you," said the Superior awkwardly.

"A child," muttered Jean. "She's a child, Victor."

"She's more a woman than you'll ever be," he snapped back.

"Perhaps," replied Jean angrily. "But never will she give more to science and to you, Victor."

"She's extremely clever, I'll have you know," he retorted. "And not much younger than your latest, Jean, if I remember correctly. Excuse her, Sapphire. Anyway. We came to see Subject One, our first completed mutant."

Jean led them to a wall-sized cage at the end of the lab, in which sat, hunched, three dark blue animals that looked like snakes with two hind legs and bright yellow eyes. As they approached, the animals let out threatening snarls.

* * *

"Subject One," said the Superior. "There were two other mutant-based labs, but Victor Lockman's was the most successful out of all of them. One was destroyed, and the other became 'The School'. And, actually, Jean was wrong. I have been giving more to science in the past year than she will ever give, and I was also Victor's best asset. When he died in a car crash, I carried on his work. It was me that made his dream a reality. He wanted to make mutant humans. He wanted humans to be able to fly, breathe underwater, move at incredible speeds. In essence, he wanted the human race to become _super-human. _He wanted the human race to be like the flock. Or at least, some of the flock. That was his dream."

"That's why you wanted Angel," I breathed. "But what about…"

"Maximum has been sought after for years," she explained. "But I believe her to be too old now to successfully experiment upon. Either way, I believe Angel and Anastasia to be much more powerful."

"So did you mean to create them that way?" I asked. "Did you design them to all be like Angel and Anna? To be Lockman's dream super-humans?"

"Maximum was created to be the saviour of the world," she said. "However, she was created to have powers far stronger than anything she possess now. She was created to be Angel or Anastasia. But it was _Maximum _who was trained to save the world. The flock were meant to be there only to assist her. And when Angel and Anastasia began to develop the skills we thought Maximum had been endowed with, and Maximum herself, although extremely successful, did not, we knew a mistake had been made. And, not only do the twins possess the skills we bestowed on them, but have developed their own. That is why they are so fascinating to me."

"But what I don't understand is why you kept Anna apart from all of the others," I said. "Why did you choose her?"

"Another experiment," she said. "Angel and Anastasia were almost exactly identical. I wanted to know how they would grow up in different environments. Angel I intended to raise in a cage, experimented upon, at first, then release her into a larger confined area. And Anastasia, I wanted to raise as my daughter, so she would trust me. When I realised, soon after the two were born, that they had a connection between each other, I knew that having one of them on my side and one of them on their side would be an extreme advantage. So Anastasia became my daughter, and Angel became an outcast, along with the others."

"You were never her mother," I hissed.

She shook her head, smiled. "You're going to hate this."

"What?" I snarled.

"Anastasia was brought up as my daughter," she said. "And although I was never her mother, I am, in fact, a relation. Do you remember the girl standing beside me at the beginning? That was my sister, Angel, Anastasia and the Gasman's mother."

"No," I snarled. "You're nothing like them. You're not… you can't be related to them."

"Them?" she scoffed. "You only really know Anastasia. You're not part of the flock, Grey, and you never will be."

She turned back to the machine, and I resorted to a last attempt.

"Sapphire," I said.

She wheeled around. _"Never _call me that again."

"You really do think you're superior to everyone else," I scoffed. "Just tell me, how did you get from dorky little Sapphire to the Superior to mutating your own nieces and nephews?"

I knew she wouldn't be able to resist showing me how cruel she was, how superior she was. That was just her own weird way of being vain.

That's why she answered both of my questions by showing me on the screen.

I glanced at the time on the top right corner of it before it transformed into a memory.

Two more minutes.

* * *

The Superior was reclining on a white-sheeted (of course) bed looking a few years older than before, Lockman sitting beside her, both sipping red wine.

"Well done, Victor," she said, smiling. "We did it. Three successful subjects under our belts."

"What are you talking about?" he laughed. "Without you, none of it would have been possible. Sapphire, you're the reason for our success."

She put the glass of wine down on the bedside table, and slipped off the edge of the bed, tightening her dressing gown.

"You, Victor, are indeed that – a victor," she said. "Maybe we should start getting everyone to call you the Victor. With a 'the'."

"And what about you?" he asked, downing the last of his glass.

She crawled back in beside him, before pecking him on the cheek. "You choose."

"Sapphire, Sapphire… what does that sound like?" he mused. "I've got it! Superior! You can be the Superior."

"All right," she said, tying her hair back up. "Well, I'm going back to the lab. The twenty wolves we ordered are coming in soon, and I'm going to quickly read through my research before we begin experimentation."

"But–"

"If you want wolf-humans anytime soon, we've got to start working on them," she answered. "We'll start with simple blood tests and DNA samples, before monitoring exercise and aggression. Tomorrow, we'll–"

"Shall I come?"

She shook her head, walking towards the door. "I've got it under control, Victor."

"Come back soon, Superior," he replied.

The door clicked shut.

The memories fast-forwarded again, until they stopped at an image of a much older version of the young girl who had been standing next to the Superior when they were both young. It was her sister, sitting on a worn leather couch next to a man who could only be her husband.

"I have a favour to ask of both of you," said the Superior, in a sad voice I knew to be fake. "After finding out, last year, that I can't–" Her voice cracked. "–have any children of my own, and, since Victor is infertile, we can't…"

"Hey, Saph," said her sister softly. "What can we do?"

"I want children," she wept. "It's all I've ever wanted, and I'd like for my children to be related for me. Since they can't be directly related to me, if you two would donate... it would just be… Please."

"I'm sorry," said her husband. "That's… No. We can't."

"Sapphire, it's a bit weird," she said. "You've got to admit… I mean, I'd love to help you, but if you have children that are actually _ours, _then…"

"We'll pay you," said the Superior. "One million dollars."

"No," snapped her sister. "I'm not taking money from _you, _Saph."

Her husband grabbed her arm and whispered urgently in her ear. The Superior pretended not to listen, but their words echoed through the speakers surrounding the screen.

"Come on. A million bucks," he hissed. "That's enough money to pay off Yoshima _and _have some to spare."

"We only owe him $10,000," she whispered. "That's all we need. And I don't like the idea."

"Only $10,000?" he burst out. "Are you _insane? _We barely have a tenth of that left."

"That's your own fault," she snarled.

"And this is the way to make it right," he replied, ignoring her comment. "This is an _opportunity. _When is anyone else going to come up to us and offer us money?"

They turned back to the Superior.

"Fine," said the husband. "We'll do it. We'll donate."

"But we're not accepting a cent over $10,000," her sister cut in, to her husband's horror. "Otherwise there's no deal."

"Thank you," breathed the Superior, her new tears yet another lie.

* * *

The Superior, turning from the screen, snickered.

"So they donated, not knowing what their children would become," she said. "We created the Gasman first, after four others – Maximum, Fang, Iggy and Nudge – had been proved successful, before creating another embryo which split before avian DNA could be added, resulting in Angel and Anastasia."

"And what did you tell your sister?" I asked, disgusted, keeping my eye on the time.

Twenty more seconds.

"I told her that it hadn't worked," she said. "I kept Anastasia from her real parents for her whole life."

Ten more seconds.

"You really are evil, you know?" I said. "There might have been a time when you were human, but now, every mutant in the world is more human than you are."

With that, I punched her, hard, in the face, away from the machine, and shot across the room, trying to get out as quickly as possible.

The seconds ran out just as I was halfway up the stairs.

* * *

**_So. Whaddaya think? The whole time running out thing will be explained in the next chapter, as long as there are reviews!_**

**_*Hint, hint*_**


	58. Chicken

_**So, here it is. I actually just finished writing the last chapter, and if you review, I'll be quick on the update!**_

**Chicken**

**Angel POV**

"Wait," said the Gasman, grabbing the brake. "We're waiting here."

"What about Tiger?" demanded Iggy. "That Fitz dude's not going to make it. And if we don't get back soon, neither will my baby."

"Angel, Anastasia," said the Gasman. "Are _you_ coming with me? Does anyone else want to wait for the guy that saved all our lives?"

Anastasia swerved to face him, her cheeks streaked with tears. "What do you mean? He's _dead, _Gazzy. Face it. He's… he's…"

"He could be dead," he replied. "But he might not be."

Max stared at him. "Really, Gaz? This is not the time."

"When I went back to talk to him," he explained, frustrated, "I gave him a couple of my most powerful bombs. I told him to fasten one to the machine and chuck a couple down onto the clones, and around the room. They're so powerful that even if one goes off, I'm sure everything inside will be affected, but I gave him four, just in case. I flicked on the timers for each of them, so they'll go off soon. If he gets out in time, he'll make it."

I hugged him, hard. "Thank you."

"And when he makes it," continued the Gasman, looking down at me. "I'm gonna kick his ass for kissing you."

I smiled through my own tears.

Max, Fang, Anastasia, the Gasman, Total and I all got out of the hovercraft, intending to wait. In utter silence, at that, trying not to focus on Fang's weak, uneven breathing.

I knew what they were all thinking, without even bothering to check. Even if Fitz died, the Gasman's bombs would make sure the Superior's clones would be destroyed. And, if the Superior survived, she would be our only problem.

_That's _what they were all thinking.

With the exception of Anastasia, of course.

It was five minutes later that it happened.

The ground shook, and there was a muted sound from underneath us. Even though it was muffled, underground, we knew it was the sound of four consecutive explosions.

Anastasia broke down in tears.

The Gasman punched his fist against a nearby tree.

Max squeezed my hand.

Fang exhaled slowly, tracing his finger across the white bandages around his torso.

I simply wouldn't believe it.

I would know if he was dead, I was sure I would.

And I didn't feel anything.

Surely that meant…

In the middle of the wreckage, the trapdoor suddenly burst open and out hurtled Fitz, speeding upwards for several metres, before falling to the ground, and landing softly.

He looked up and stared at us.

We stared right back.

He was alive.

The Superior was dead.

Everything was okay.

That was a first in our lives.

* * *

We headed to KFC before returning to the cliff. Having barely eaten in days, us Avian Americans devoured everything – and I mean _everything – _on the menu.

Five times.

I'm not even kidding.

"Um," said the hesitant waiter to Max, looking up and down her bloody face and torso, where she only wore a bandage and a scrap of a T-shirt, for the fiftieth time. Our attire had actually cleared the customers near us from the restaurant pretty sharpish. Or maybe it was how we all congratulated the Gasman on his bomb-making skills.

"Do you want… anything else?"

Max grinned broadly. "Actually, yeah."

He backed away slightly, stunned. "So what is it that you, uh, want?"

"Takeaway," she said, remembering Iggy and Nudge. "Can we get two of everything from here to here, plus four cokes and two milkshakes?"

"Sure," he said.

"Thanks," she replied, nodding at him. "You've been great. Most waiters are a bit scared of us, sometimes, or just get annoyed at our appetites."

He didn't answer, just left.

"So," said Max. "He's one of those waiters, apparently."

"Apparently," agreed Anastasia.

"Should we show him our wings, just for kicks?" suggested the Gasman.

"It'd probably kill him," I said. "But it _would _be fun."

"You know what?" said Max. "Let's just lay low for a while. Maybe until everything heals and we're all better and back to normal."

"That'll be in about five days, tops," said the Gasman.

The food arrived a while later, and we cleared off, much to the waiter's delight.

Carrying a portion each, – apart from Total, who carried the straws – we began the walk towards the cliff face, as some of our wings were still unable to fly with.

"Now that the Superior's dead," said Total, catching a breeze. He, of course, still could fly, and was hovering by our heads. "Can we go to Venice? For real? Obviously when your wings are all better."

"You were going to Venice?" asked Fitz. "That's pretty cool."

"_S__ì," _said Total. "For ze cuisine and ze ladies."

"I haven't thought that far ahead. I've just been thinking about how to kill the Superior for the past few days," confessed Max. "But if everyone wants to go… I mean, we've got wings, so we should use them, right?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "It'll be awesome."

Anastasia beamed. "Sure. I actually know a bit of Italian."

Heads turned. Someone saying they knew a language other than English was like announcing they could juggle dinosaurs in one hand while, at the same time, making cupcakes.

Basically impossible.

But hey, with us, the impossible happened pretty much daily.

_Hello. _We have wings. Nudge is a magnet. I can talk to fish.

Need I go on?

"Only a _bit _of Italian,"she said defensively. "I learned it for a few years."

I suddenly felt very, _very _inferior to my twin sister.

Apparently her 2% bird DNA was from an intelligent bird, whereas mine was probably from… a chicken, or something.

Lucky me.

She ended up the Clever-Italian-American.

Ha. The C.I.A.

And… _I_ ended up the Chicken-American.

"Venice sounds great," said the Gasman, bringing me out of my depression. He was munching on one of Iggy's cheeseburgers, so Max shot him a look. _"Hey. _Sorry I'm not anorexic."

"Ano– _Gazzy!" _She sighed. "Okay, but just that one. They're probably starving."

"So am I," he whined. "I'm practically _malnourished! _I'm just skin and bone, Max."

"And feathers and muscle and blood and…" Total grinned at the Gasman's expression.

"Okay, okay," grumbled the Gasman. "Just this one, I swear."

"So do we all want to go?" clarified Max. "Fang?"

He was the only one who hadn't said anything regarding Venice yet.

Surprise, surprise.

"Um," said Fang. "They have good food in Italy, right?"

Total gaped. "Fang. You astound me."

"Why?" he asked. "I only asked if…"

"Italy is the birthplace of all that's holy," said Total. "Pizza, spaghetti, linguini, olive oil…"

_Spagbol, _I thought, thinking _way _back to my date with Subject Twenty-Seven, who I then knew as Louis.

It seemed like such a long time ago.

"Pizza?" demanded the Gasman, again interrupting my thoughts. "I thought that was American."

Total's jaw dropped, and he choked up a sob. "No, Gasman, _no."_

The Gasman shrugged. "I didn't know dogs could cry."

"You don't know a lot of things, apparently," wept Total. "But you're right. We can't. I'm just faking, but I want to cry. You make me want to cry with such ignorance about culture!"

Total stopped fake-crying.

Max smiled. "So it's decided, then."

"Well," pondered Anastasia. "It depends on what Iggy and Nudge say."

"I'll bet you I can guess," the Gasman perked up, his eyes glinting with the prospect of a challenge. "Iggy will tell us that with a newborn baby, we're going to have to cool it for a bit; kick back, relax, that sort of thing. But after Nudge starts spouting a whole load of crap about Europe and clothes and stuff, he'll give in."

Anastasia nodded. "Sure. There's no way you're going to be right. What do you want to bet?"

He thought about it for a moment. "A fry?"

"Done," she said.

* * *

We waited at the bottom of the cliff, while Fitz and Total flew up to where Nudge and Iggy were waiting for us to return. Fitz came back down with the hovercraft after they had both gushed – well, _Nudge _had gushed – about how glad they were that he was alive, and we all crammed ourselves inside, squashing in, as the food took up half of the space. When we arrived at the cave, and Max had told them about our plans for Venice, the Gasman was, of course, spot on about their answers. He raised an expectant eyebrow at Anastasia, and cleared his throat.

"Nudge?" she said, sheepish, while she was wolfing down the takeaway. "Can I, um, have a fry? Just one?"

Nudge nodded, her mouth full, and threw her one that was on the generously long side. Anastasia, shaking her head in bemused disbelief, gave it to the Gasman, who chucked it straight into his mouth.

With most of us still unable to fly, but all of us wanting desperately to leave the cave, we used the hovercraft to get us as far as the coast, before reaching the sea.

But there was one problem. We didn't want to be halfway across the Atlantic when the hovercraft ran out of fuel, to plummet to our deaths, when our wings, especially mine, were still finding it difficult to flap.

Eventually, we decided to hijack a ship that was heading in the Europe direction, and, after hiding it out for five days, we decided it was time enough to get out and start clearing the ship of its food supply. So we all went straight to the kitchen, following our noses.

Max opened the door carefully, quietly, and we snuck inside.

But, because this was our lives, something had to happen.

Iggy caught the side of the table and stumbled to the floor, bringing a hoard of pots and pans tumbling down with him.

"_Iggy!" _hissed Max.

"I'm sorry," he hissed right back. "But I'm _blind!"_

Max went red.

We all held our breaths, praying nobody had heard that.

From outside came two sets of hurried footsteps.

The door swung open seconds later.

"What the–"

They had found us.

* * *

_**Reviews?**_


	59. Venice

**Venice**

I froze, thinking of the Superior, and only the Superior. She was dead, but I still had my doubts. And, doing a quick one-eighty, I realised that everyone else felt the same.

But when the door burst open, with Iggy throwing a grenade up and down in his hands, the Gasman crouching with his back - and, um, ass - to the door, and the rest of us in battle stance, it turned out to be two sailors.

Two _sailors. _Not Erasers, not whitecoats, not anything that wanted to cage and experiment on us. I could take them in my sleep. I burst out laughing.

But Max shot me a thought: _We want to stay on this ship, and if we fight these guys, we're going to have to fight everyone else. And then we're going to have to drive this thing all on our own._

_We could do that, _I thought. _We're the flock. We have superpowers!_

_Yeah, _thought Max. _But I really, really can't be bothered._

That was a good point.

So Max, grudgingly playing the part of a guilty stowaway, went, "Oh. Um, sorry. We just wanted a free pass. I guess that's against the rules."

I knew what she was itching to say - and do. If it weren't for Total's desperation to go to Venice, she would have looked them square on, quipped, "We're just some of those people who don't give a crap about rules," and thrown them both in the deep blue Atlantic. After a nice, therapeutic punch-up, of course.

It was like school – real school, I mean, not the one we'd dealt with – as in, if you had done something bad, you would be seant to the person in charge, the dreaded head. I'd actually seen someone, in my brief period back at school with only Total, burst into tears and grab tight onto her desk, yelling at the teacher who was trying to get her to go to the head because she had chucked a piece of chalk at his face, telling him, "YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PRY MY COLD, DEAD HANDS AWAY FROM THIS DESK!"

In the end, they did.

Just kidding.

But anyway, it was the same. The two guys who had found us took us to the dude in charge, the captain.

Max just tried to get it over and done with, by grabbing Iggy and the Gasman, digging deep into their pockets and pulling out countless bombs.

"Let us stay," she said, "And we won't bomb this thing. See these wings? They're not strapped on, man, they're _grown _on. So yeah, we can just fly away. But you guys will all die. Forget those inflatable boat-thingies, too. We have another weapon. A dog. He will bite, bite, bite until they're just shreds of fluorescent crap. Capeesh?"

She didn't happen to mention we _couldn't _fly, not until our wings were fully healed. But the captain didn't know that.

The captain furrowed his brow. "I've never had a terrorist threat on board this ship before, and I–"

"Hey, oldie," cut in Total, circling a lazy loop around the captain's head, fluttering his wings, just to demonstrate. "Maxie here was created to _save the world. _We're not freaking terrorists."

"How funny would that be, though, if…" The Gasman and Iggy roared with laughter.

Even though the joke wasn't funny.

The captain stared, baffled, at Total. Obviously he hadn't read Fang's blog, or he would know that Total really was a talking dog, we really had wings and this wasn't all just a hallucination.

Anastasia rolled her eyes at me.

I guess it would always come down to us.

"Hey, hey," I said. "There's no need for threats."

"Bloody right," said the captain sharply.

_Let them stay on board the ship, _thought Anastasia at him.

_They're your special guests, _I thought. _Extra special. _

_That's your niece, Maxie, _thought Anastasia._ Your beloved niece. _

_And there's Fang... Sorry, I meant Fangy, _I added, smiling mischievously. Y_our beloved nephew. Maxie and Fangy are the people you love most in the world._

_Give them whatever they want, _thought Anastasia. _They deserve it. And a free trip to Europe._

He nodded dreamily. "Maxie, my beloved niece… Fangy, my beloved nephew..."

Max's head snapped up. She looked from me to Anastasia. A smile crept across her face. Fang, on the other hand, just sighed.

"Lunch is in five minutes," he told us. "Help yourselves. I'll get someone to go and sort out your rooms. And Maxie? Fangy?" he added, teary-eyed, as we began filing out of his room. "It's nice to see you both again."

Anastasia and I lingered at the door, wanting to see what would happen.

"You too," said Max, looking uncomfortable.

He lumbered over to her, overcome with emotion, and held out his arms. "Can your old uncle Oscar have a hug?"

"Um..."

His eyes overflowed. "Please, Maxie, sweetie?"

Sweetie. I laughed to myself. That was a guaranteed word that would piss Max off. It was one of many.

Max's eyes flashed. "You know what, _uncle? _I'm not your sweetie. I am nobody's sweetie."

Fang gave her a look. It was slightly bemused, slightly annoyed.

_"Nobody's _sweetie," repeated Max, looking at Fang. "But I still, um... I still love you."

Declaration of love, no matter how awkward, from Maximum Ride? This was a day that would go down in history.

Fang seemed satisfied.

Captain Oscar, believing her to be talking about him, not Fang, sobbed. "I love you too, Maxie. And you, Fangy. I love you too."

He headed for Fang, his arms still wide open, inviting. Fang took a step back.

"Fangy?" asked the captain, looking hurt.

Fang shook his head. "Hell no."

_"Please?"_

Fang hurled his fist towards him, and the man fell forwards, flat on his face. He patted his hands together.

"God, that guy was annoying," he muttered. Then, at Max's expression, went, "What? He's unconscious, not _dead. _We'll just say he fell over and hit the table."

"There _is _no table in here," Max pointed out.

Fang shrugged. "He'll believe it. He's just as clever as the Gasman."

Outside, Anastasia and I cracked up.

* * *

It took us about a week, maybe a week and a half, to reach Europe, and it had been paradise. When we arrived, Max pick pocketed a map and, since, during the trip, our wings were pretty much as good as new, we took to the skies before the anchor had been dropped, heading straight for Venice.

It took us five days.

But, hell, it was worth it.

When we landed, grinning widely at the view before us, Total pretending to cry again, and Max telling him to get over himself, it was like the Superior had never existed.

I felt genuinely happy.

We could all live here, in peace, until some Italian, big-headed psycho decided to get his henchmen of gondola drivers to cage us and experiment on us, before turning us into pizza à la bird kids (and mutant Scottie and mutant… whatever Fitz was).

But we probably had a while until that happened. Touch wood.

I jerked my glance upwards as I felt Fitz's hand curl around mine.

"You know," he said hesitantly, his cheeks flushed, "Venice is the City of Love."

I swallowed. "Really?"

"Yeah." He grinned. "Apparently. Look at them."

I looked up.

Nudge was hugging Iggy, tearing up, Tiger in her other hand. And Max and Fang, on my right, were kissing fervently, unaware of the world around them, Fang's hands in Max's hair, pulling her ever closer. Total, seeing this, grabbed the opportunity.

"And it seems that Max and Fang really do like Venice," he piped up in a commentator-like voice. Max and Fang didn't respond. "Really, _really _do like Venice. So much so that any shred of PDA has gone. They're really going for it now... Wow. _Wow._ You _see, _Gazzy? Culture is important. Culture does _this _to people."

"Go crazy?" asked the Gasman.

"Crazy in _love," _said Total.

I felt a sudden urge to sing Beyoncé. Thankfully, I managed to repress it. But only just.

The Gasman scrunched up his nose. "I'd rather be sane, thanks."

Total sighed. "You're a lost cause, you are."

I laughed, looking back up at Fitz. "City of Love... I guess you're right."

"But, um…" he began, trying to look anywhere but at me. "You and I… we… I mean, I don't _love _you, Angel, but–"

I flinched. That was direct.

I didn't expect him to _love _me, but I didn't expect him to say it like that. Or say it, full stop.

"No, I get it," I said. "Sure, um, whatever."

"No, you don't," he said quickly, flushing. And, finally, his eyes locked with mine. "That came out wrong, I'm sorry. I don't _love _you, Angel, but I haven't known you for that long. I know that I'm not in love with you, but that doesn't mean I don't really, _really _like you."

My breath caught in my throat. "Really?"

"Really, really, really," he agreed.

When he kissed me, then, everything around me faded away, muted, and all I could feel was him, pressed up against me, his lips burning hot against my own.

We broke apart minutes later, our breathing ragged, grinning like there was no tomorrow.

Now. _Now _I felt properly happy.

Ridiculously happy.

I glanced over at Anastasia. She threw me a thumbs-up and a wink.

_Shut up, _I thought, rolling my eyes.

_Score, _she thought back. _Even though it's kind of gross for me to see you two… Anyway. I'm happy for you._

Happy.

It seemed I couldn't get enough of the word.

_You know what? _I thought. _I think everything is going to turn out okay._

_Easy for you to say, _she snorted. _I don't have a Fang or an Iggy or a Fitz._

_This is Venice, _I thought. _The City of Love. You'll get someone. I swear you will, Stace._

She smiled. _I hope so._

And, for once, she didn't correct me on calling her Stace.

* * *

**_End._**


End file.
